


MORII

by bangtrashsyd, wildflower (bangtrashsyd)



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Era, M/M, dongbin mentioned, geonhee mentioned, kwon hyeob mentioned, mentioned pd 101 boys, taehyun mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2018-11-10 05:39:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11121027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bangtrashsyd/pseuds/bangtrashsyd, https://archiveofourown.org/users/bangtrashsyd/pseuds/wildflower
Summary: 2hyun run an agency, Dongho's a vocal director with a yoghurt obsession, Minki's a Top Model with too much sass, and Aron's trying to get by.feat. Eunki whose legs are apparently a religon, Moonbok the tired administrative staff, Sanggyun the rap instructor who takes no shit, Jaehwan the sleepy vocal instructor, Donghyun the impatient coordi and Youngmin the poor Communications major who just tags along to make sure his boyfriend stays alive.Sound interesting? You haven't even met the trainees yet. Welcome to MORII.posted for #HAPPYJONGHYUNDAYthank you for 13k hits!





	1. one, minhyun

**Author's Note:**

> this is most probably not how an entertainment company goes and it probably is nonsense, just like how eunki & jonghyun & samuel was eliminated (lol I'm still so goddamn salty)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well settle down for _this_ ride

"Jonghyun?" Minhyun calls, stepping into his friend's house and tucking the spare key into his wallet. "Where are you?"

"Here." Jonghyun calls back, arms crossed while he watches the television in the kitchen. Minhyun can see his silhouette from the glass panel seperating the kitchen and the hosting area, tensed to pounce.

"What are you looking at?" Minhyun asks, and Jonghyun turns to face him with an annoyed expression. 

"I just," Jonghyun pinches his nose. "I miss it, you know?" 

Minhyun hums slightly, leaning against the wooden frame. He knows exactly what Jonghyun means.

It's been six months since NU'EST disbanded, but they were half in and half out of the industry. Dongho's busy writing songs by commission, Minki's a rising top model, and Aron's taken on a producing position at MBC. Minhyun himself has slunk to the shadows, becoming a private image manager, while Jonghyun... Their leader now hid in his home, convinced beyond belief that his world has ended. 

"You can't hide here forever, you know." Minhyun coaxes, and Jonghyun turns his gaze back to the screen. 

"I know." He replies softly. "There's an envelope on the table. I want you to see it."

Minhyun reaches for the white folder on the marble table, reaching inside. He flips through the papers, and his eyebrows rise.

"Mr Hwang, what do you think?" Jonghyun senses he's finished, and Minhyun begins to smile.

"I think," He says, looking at BoA's signature on the bottom of the document. "This is a very, very good idea."

 

 **jonghyunie:** talked to BoA, got the deal. 

 **jonghyunie:** it's going to be a wild ride, partner. you still doing this with me?

 **jonghyunie:** i mean, it's okay if you decide not to. it's a big risk. 

 **jonghyunie:** i didn't mean to pressurise you, shit. i didn't scare you off, right?

 **jonghyunie:** do you want to think more about it?

 **jonghyunie:** _[typing...]_

 **minhyunie:** jesus, chill.

 **minhyunie:** i was at a meeting with Kahi-noona, she seems to want a stake in the company too.

 **minhyunie:** i'll see you in a bit.

 **jonghyunie:** oh thank God. Kahi-noona? sure, we need all the help we can get.

 **jonghyunie:** meet up? it isn't friday though.

 **minhyunie:** i just pooled my entire six months of wage as credit so Kahi would sponsor us.

 **minhyunie:** your house is bigger, i'm moving in.

 **jonghyunie:** this is going to go big, isn't it?

 **minhyunie:** open the door and help me get my bags. let's talk.

 **minhyunie:** with wine.

 

"Can you believe that, hyung?" Minki's voice is outraged. "These two idiots just decided to make a company. Just like that."

He snaps his fingers sharply, bag hanging off his shoulder. 

"Did they _tell_ us they were building a company? No! Did they tell us they were moving in together? No! Guess where I heard it from, hyung."

"Do tell." Aron plays along, exchanging a tired look with Minhyun. Minhyun passes him a cup of tea, and he sips in quietly.

"It's  _hilarious_ _,_ hyung. I heard it from Kahi-noona.  _Kahi-noona!"_ Minki bangs his palm on the table for emphasis. "The atrocity, the disrespect!"

"Are you done now?" Dongho asks, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Nearly, one more line." Minki glances at him. "I sure hope we are involved in your plan, because-"

"Yes, you are." Minhyun cuts him off, handing him a packet of M&Ms. 

"Good." Minki looks satisfied, although slightly put out at having been cut off. 

"We were thinking," Jonghyun leans forward, the amused smile replaced by a serious one. "For Minki to sign under us, Dongho as well. We can follow through with Dongho's solo career. Aron hyung can help us with producing and everything, since he's great with that."

Dongho shrugs.

"I'm cool with that." He says, and Minki nods in approval.

"Tempt me, kids." Aron prompts, opening his arms.

"Full artistic control and direction." Jonghyun says immediately, watching Aron's eyes light up.

"With a little bit of advice from us." Minhyun adds quickly. 

"Damn, I'm sold. You guys are doing well at this business thing." Aron grins, holding up his phone. "Better not go back on your words because I just recorded the entire conversation."

He points to the little camera on Jonghyun's keyboard, hidden behind sheathes of piano sheets. Minhyun smiles.

"Only you." He says fondly. 

 

"This is harder than I expected." Jonghyun huffs, struggling under the weight of the boxes. Minhyun opens the door of his office, removing his personal box from Jonghyun's tower. 

"At least Kahi-noona lent us one of her buildings." Minhyun says optimistically. He goes to open the curtains, and the thick layer of dust on the windowsill makes him cringe. "Jesus, we need to clean this place up."

"Hwang Minhyun, first I need to get a drink." Jonghyun leans over to plop his head onto Minhyun's shoulder. Minhyun chuckles, unpacking the box quickly and laying out his desk items into neatly ordered rows. 

"Minhyun, I think this place needs a little sprucing up." Dongho insists from the doorway. "It's all brown and green, ugh. Can we repaint everything?"

"Pay for it and you can." Minhyun says, shoving Jonghyun off and removing a file from the desk. "Company colours?"

"Monochrome?" Jonghyun suggests. "We don't want to stand out too much, since we're just starting out."

Minki bounces in with Kahi on one arm.

"Noona, can we repaint this place? Industrial style?" Jonghyun asks, and Kahi ruffles his hair. She's in a good mood today, and as Aron leaps up the stairs he realises why. The baby is here, and seems to have taken a liking to Aron. The little bundle is giggling in Aron's embrace. 

"Sure." She says indulgently, and Dongho races down to his car. 

"Get cleaning supplies too!" Minhyun shouts down the stairs, and Dongho snaps a salute before he's out of the main doors.

 

Minhyun checks their budget, frowning. 

"Dongho..." He says.

"Yeah?" The boy asks, passing him a mop.

"Did you just buy a  _chandelier?"_

"Go big or go home, Min!" Dongho grins and Jonghyun growls.

"You better be paying for that." He warns and the smile slips off Dongho's face. He leans over to see the negative balance on the letter from the bank.

"Oh." He mutters. "I mean, of course?"

Minhyun resists the urge to behead his best friend with the mop and starts scrubbing the floor angrily.

 

The three months Minhyun plans to use getting everything on track goes by quickly, so he's woken up on Friday morning by Jonghyun's alarm. It's the ringtone he hates the most.

"Wake up." He prods his friend's dead form with one toe, rolling up his mattress. He folds his blanket, watching Jonghyun stir awake. Dumping his pillow into the basket, he pads to the bathroom without turning on the light. It saves electricity anyway, since they were low on the money spectrum.

The day for the two of them is fairly packed. First off they have to get administrative staff, then they have to go over trainee contracts with Boa and Kahi. Jonghyun had suggested a flexible training system, where a trainee could use the training rooms and confer with the in-house trainers. Every three months an compulsory evaluation would be held, and then they would decide on those to debut. Minhyun had smiled then, but whether Kahi and Boa would follow through with their idea was unknown.

 

"This is Moonbok." Minki produces their first employee. "He's applying for admin."

Minhyun studies the offer carefully. The design of the resume Moonbok presents him with is clean, detailed and completely original. He skips through the credits, noting the other's graduation from a small but well connected college. 

"I'm Minki's friend." Moonbok chirps, hair tied up in a low ponytail. He's got cute round spectacles on, and Jonghyun takes one look at him then decides to employ him.

"Really?" Moonbok seems baffled, and Minhyun brings him to his desk. Moonbok runs his fingers across the counter, marvelling at the white marble. "Wow, the table in my house isn't as big as this."

"Moonbok, your first assignment is to contact these trainees." Jonghyun passes him the sheet he's been scribbling in for nearly a week. "I hand picked them myself. Aron-hyung's created invitations that we can send through email, so you can go meet him in his studio on level three."

"All of us have a meeting at two with Boa and Kahi." Minhyun takes over, passing Moonbok their handwritten schedules. Moonbok takes one look at it and winces.

"You guys really need some help." He says, whipping out a MacBook from his bag. "Can we go digital? I think it's faster."

"I think," Minhyun says very carefully, watching Moonbok type in the schedule quickly. "We'll get along just fine."

 

By noon, everyone has met Moonbok, and their employee has made a home of his desk. He springs them up with at least two dozen ideas to run the office more effectively, and Jonghyun seems to appreciate it. A glance in the little main lobby shows their two heads bent over the laptop, and Minhyun grabs salad lunches from the bento place down the street.

"6 sets of the Classic Salad meal." Minhyun orders, flipping through his wallet. "Please take out the tomatoes for one of the sets."

His order is handed over to him in no time, and someone stops him before he can leave.

"You are Minhyun, right?" The boy's mouth is wide open. "From NU'EST?"

"Yes." Minhyun replies, shifting the weight on his feet.

"Oh my God." The boy says faintly. "Can we take a picture? My name is Park Woojin."

Minhyun poses cutely for the camera, then says goodbye to Woojin. The office is complaining with hunger and Moonbok helps him to call the rest down for lunch. 

"This one doesn't have tomatoes?" Moonbok questions, and Minhyun nods.

"Jonghyun hates tomatoes." He says absently, going over the contracts. 

 

Moonbok's presence in the office magically makes everything work faster. It didn't hurt that Moonbok had connections to practically every industry. He comes up with identification cards and security for the front door, cranking out passes and a revamped security system with cameras for safety in every room. Moonbok claims he called in a favour from a friend, and Minhyun smiles.

The meeting with Boa and Kahi goes well, with them slightly improving the contracts. The trainees also respond positively to the email, agreeing to private auditions. Moonbom schedules everything so quickly it's almost scary, and for the first time, Minhyun and Jonghyun get off early. 

Minki's on route to New York for the Fashion Week, and he promises to scout out new talent on the way. Dongho's out of town too, going to Japan to meet a Japanese producer who seems keen on producing a song for his solo album. Aron's in the States as well, visiting his family. Jonghyun and Minhyun are strangely left with nothing to do on a Friday night.

"Movie?" Jonghyun suggests, and they pop into a rental store to get all the Harry Potter movies. It somehow becomes a regular thing, but Minhyun isn't complaining. It gives him something to look forward to every weekend.

 

"Minhyun, there's a group applying for trainer positions today at two." Moonbok tells him as he strides into the building. He throws him an okay sign, collecting their files. Jonghyun stumbles through the front door with coffee, holding on to someone.

"Who's this?" Moonbok pipes up from behind the desk.

"This is Kim Sanggyun." Jonghyun grins. "He's our rap trainer."

"He is?" Minhyun checks in disbelief and Jonghyun nods. "Alright, hello Sanggyun-ssi. There's one thing off the list."

 

They get a certain Hong Eunki for dance, and Minhyun recognises him immediately. The contemporary dance child prodigy, with medals and championship titles to his name. Their vocal trainer is no less impressive, a Kim Jaehwan who won one season of The Voice. Dongho will be helping too, of course. Rap was Jonghyun and Sanggyun, and everything works out nicely. 

He hopes.


	2. two, jihoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got back to school this week & it's literally hell ,,,,

Jihoon shuffles his feet nervously outside the monochrome building. He's anxious, pacing even, and the burning sun doesn't help.

One week ago, in the JYP dorms, he recieved an email. He had been pretty sure it was bullshit, but he was desperate enough to get out of his company to try. One email later, he's earned himself an audition. He tucks his cap even lower, hiding his face.

The glass door beeps open, releasing a gust of cool air and Jihoon steps closer on reflex. Someone with long hair tied into a ponytail smiles down at him, and he smiles, hoping he doesn't look weird.

"Park Jihoon?" The guy checks, and he nods, placing his hands behind his back. "Come in! It's melting outside."

Jihoon jogs up the steps quickly, thanking him as he holds open the door.

"I'm Moonbok." The guy introduces himself, and Jihoon recalls the name at the foot of the email.

"The Chief of Administration?" He gapes, and Moonbok rolls his eyes.

"The only administrative staff, more like." He teases, bringing the both of them over to a white marble desk. It's pretty much bombarded with stickers and stuffed toys, and Moonbok flushes when he sees Jihoon looking.

"Here's an ID for the lifts, I'll need it back before you leave." Moonbok passes him a lanyard, and he marvels at the front, where his name is written carefully in blue ink. "You ready?"

"We're going now?" He chokes out. The last time he had an audition, he waited two hours before he was seen.

"Yes, if you are ready." Moonbok's eyes are twinkling behind his silver spectacles. "I booked you for three in the afternoon, didn't I?"

"Yes." Jihoon stutters, forcing his feet to chase after him. "Yes, okay, I'm good."

The lift arrives, and Moonbok steps in, hitting for the top floor. He fidgets with his hands, pulling out a phone to check his reflection.

"You look fine." Moonbok breaks the silence, beaming reassuringly. "They're going to love you."

"Really?" He asks, momentarily distracted.

"Well, Jonghyun picked you out himself." Moonbok shrugs as the doors of the lift creak open. "Whatever he says goes." 

"Who's Jonghyun?" The question slips from his lips before he can stop it. Moonbok shoots him an amused look.

"You'll see." The door swings open as Moonbok taps his access pass, and a blast of cool air wafts over the both of them. Jihoon is very nervous sudddenly, and Moonbok pats his shoulder.

"Good luck." He says, which isn't very reassuring. Jihoon tells him so, and he laughs, mentioning for Jihoon to go in. 

He keeps his fists by his sides and walks in, bracing himself.

There's a long table in the empty room that stretches from one end to the other, and the floor to ceiling windows are drawn with white curtains. The remnants of the afternoon sun spill across the huddle of heads clustered at the centre of the table, and Jihoon recognises the taped X on the floor. Right in front of the table is a camera, propped up on a tripod, while a projector screen is pulled down over the mirrored wall next to the windows. Moonbok snaps his fingers for attention, announcing their presence, and the group unfurls like a flower to reveal-

Hold on.

Hold. On.

"Hello, Park Jihoon." Kim JR, leader of NU'EST, the very first band Jihoon ever saw live, smiles across the room at him.

"Oh my God." He hisses frantically, fingers coming to knot around each other. "Moonbok? What's going on?"

"Meet Jonghyun." Moonbok's smile spreads from ear to ear. "He's the CEO."

Jihoon blinks in disbelief at the panel. He sees the entirety of NU'EST observing him with cool, detached eyes, and  _oh God,_ wasn't that Kim Sanggyun in the corner? There's Eunki in leather pants perched on the table, long legs hanging off, and Jihoon feels unsettled. The last person in the panel looks slightly sleepy, and Jihoon's eyes ghost over him to rest again on Baekho.

"Good afternoon." Minhyun looks through him, waving a hand. He introduces the panel, and Jihoon identifies Sleepy Guy as Kim Jaehwan, who won a season of The Voice. Choi Ren, in  _person,_ studies his chosen outfit of a black hoodie and jeans with wary eyes, and Jihoon flinches under his gaze. Baekho is scowling, flipping through a clipboard. Sanggyun is thumbing through a tablet, and Jihoon winces as the projector reveals a series of photos from his time as a child actor.

"How adorable." Eunki deadpans, and he bites a lip. 

"Okay, Jihoon. Can you introduce yourself?" JR prompts, and Jihoon smooths his face over, instincts honed from months of JYP training. His practiced introduction goes well without any mistakes and he keeps it bright and cheerful. Baekho asks him some questions about his background on the spot, and he tries his best to answer as honestly as possible. 

"Thank you, I think that's enough." The panel nods as Baekho looks up again. "Let's see you perform now, but we won't be watching what you prepared."

"Excuse me?" Jihoon is flabbergasted, and his mouth hangs open. Choi Ren breaks out into a lazy grin, and his entire body tenses up.

"We're going to hear you do a freestyle rap, dance freestyle, and also sing from a chosen list of our choice." Ren says, handing him a laminated piece of paper. "We would see acting too, and I want to see you walk for me."

 _"Walk?"_ Jihoon gasps. It's literally Choi Ren in person, and he's going to have to try to walk for him when he's never done it before. The model smiles at him, and Jihoon groans in his head.

He picks a track titled "Pick Me" to sing, and goes through the freestyle rap and dance with relative ease. The song is significantly harder, and he resorts to falsetto at the high parts, much to Baekho's obvious displeasure. Acting goes well too, and when he begins walking, Ren nods encouragingly. He stands on top of the X once he's done, shaking with nerves. He's never tried so hard before, and his legs are trembling with a mixture of physical and physcological exertion.

"Well." JR speaks at last, folding his arms. "I think that's all we need to see. Guys?"

"Rap wise, he's good." Sanggyun bites the tip of his pen as he speaks. "Flow can be improved, but he has a good sense of rhythm and direction. Vocal tone is pleasant enough, not too extreme, although I think Dongho would agree with me that he hasn't found his true vocal colour yet."

"Yes." Baekho interjects. "Singing is passable, and he needs a little help with delivery. Otherwise, falsetto is shaky but his runs are relatively stable."

"Walking and acting need some work." Aron speaks, words slow. "He knows how to look good on camera, but his face needs to be more expressive. Minki?"

"Walking can improve, yes. Not bad for the first time though."

"Dancing is good too, I got to see a nice range of genres." Eunki mutters. "I think with some more training, he'll look more polished. Boss?"

Minhyun places one hand deliberately on the table.

"The way he carries himself suggests confidence, although insecure in singing. You can see that from the way his shoulders curl in, it restricts the lungs. Physcologically and mentally strong, despite our testing. Stands up for himself against strong questioning, which is good. I want him."

"We are all agreed, aren't we?" JR stands to his feet. The panel stands as well, and Jihoon tries very hard not to jump the company CEO as he comes closer. "Welcome to MORII, Jihoon. You with us?"

"I'm in?" Jihoon blurts out again, and Minhyun smiles.

"You were coming with us since we sent you that email." He calls from behind JR's beaming face. "We just wanted to see how you would react under pressure."

"Are you with us, Jihoon?" Choi Ren bounces up to him and he tries valiantly not to erupt with excitement. 

"Yes." He says immediately. The room erupts into cheers and suddenly he's wrapped up in a group hug. Even Baekho is smiling, and he doesn't look that scary anymore.

"Welcome to the family, kid." Eunki ruffles his hair, and Jihoon bounces on the balls of his feet. "It's going to be a wild ride."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment pls & ily!!
> 
> highkey missing pd 101 a lil, all my fridays seem empty now lol and i just realised how much i invested into these boys omg.... like wow i still think about how to improve to survive and everything god i can't move on until they've all debuted ok xkksbcnsd


	3. three, lee woojin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok,, just finished watching the concert and as always I'm in awe of Kim Jonghyun... did yall see the way he handled the wardrobe malfunction like Jesus that was smooth af.
> 
> also he said he was happy, and my heart still hurts for him but if he's okay, I'll be okay too. I guess.
> 
> Sorry Sorry reunited was the highlight of my week, and Hyunbin's Instagram post is now my wallpaper lol 
> 
> hm what else
> 
> oh right, it seemed that some of the trainees were really tired, I think I spotted Daniel making a mistake during Get Ugly, but maybe the choreography changed or something. anyway how did Minki film his new variety show appearance and practice for the concert at the same time???? I stan the right people ok 
> 
> anyways I was low key emo after hearing Jonghyun rapping FEAR, so here goes. (sorry woojin)

Woojin scuffs the toe of one boot behind the other, waiting for Jonghyun's evaluation.

"I think you are in a slump." Jonghyun says, not unkindly. Woojin blinks away the startled tears that make it to the corner of his eyes, and his boss gets to his feet. Jonghyun tucks him into a hug, and Woojin tries to relax into it.

"You know it too." Jonghyun whispers, patting the hair at the his nape down, and Woojin breaks. Little sobs escape from his twisted mouth and he rubs them away. "You know my decision. I'm sorry."

"Yeah." Woojin steps back, heart filled with disappointment. "I understand. Thank you for giving me the chance to try."

"Woojin, don't beat yourself up over it." Jonghyun calls as he strides towards the door. He can't really answer, and the door shuts behind him with a slight click. 

The row of trainees outside overwhelm him in seconds.

"Woojin-ie, are you okay?" Daehwi and Seonho wrap him in a hug, and Woojin pushes them away. He moves towards the stairs wordlessly, nearly running down the stairs in his hurry to get away. The tears in the corners of his eyes blind him, and he trips over the last step. Someone catches him, and he catches a glimpse of Minki's trademark leather jacket. Minki stumbles back with the combined weight, shifting his grip to grab hold of him.

"Why are you crying, Woojin-ah?" He coaxes, and Woojin presses his lips together. "It's going to be okay, come on."

Minki drags him into the kitchen pantry, pushing up on his forearms to sit on the counter. 

"Talk to me." He orders, and Woojin opens his mouth, releasing all the anger and frustration he's felt the past month.

"So, you feel like you're in a rut, feel worse because of your slipping grades, and then you didn't make Jonghyun's debuting standards so now it's the end of the world." Minki confirms, and Woojin nods, upset. "I'm going to be honest with you, Woojin-ah, I don't think you're ready to debut either."

"I  _know!"_ The last word rips out from him like a curse. "I know I'm not ready, but it just hurts so much, hyung."

"You know we all love you, right?" Minki's voice is solemn. "Jonghyun doesn't want to debut you because you're not ready. He doesn't want you to flop the way we did, doesn't want to take the chance of you failing. Your grades are one thing, you  _have_ to secure stable grades and make it to university! That way, you still have a way out of this industry."

"What?" The bitterness in Minki's voice pulls Woojin out of his depression. "What do you mean, hyung?"

"The industry is a drug." Minki says simply. "And we're the drug dealers. Sometimes, you get good profit, but once you get into it, you're never going to get out. I was fourteen when I entered my old company, and sometimes I wonder what it's like to live normally. To grow up, even. I suppose I'm still a small child inside."

Woojin's hand creeps over to Minki's, and the older smiles down at him.

"You're going to debut one day, Lee Woojin." He says firmly. "And when you do, you're going to succeed, more than I ever did. You hear me?"

"Hyung-" He says, but Minki wraps him in a hug to cut him off.

"Go be happy, and get your life back together." Minki commands into his ear. "Then come back, and you'll debut. You trust us, don't you?"

"Yes." Woojin says immediately, closing his eyes. "We're family."

 

Jihoon is smiling so widely it aches in Woojin's chest.

"I'm going to debut." He says the words carefully, as if they're going to shatter in his mouth. "I'm debuting, Woojin-ah!"

"Congratulations, hyung." Woojin says, and as he says the words, he realises that he actually means it. "I'm happy for you."

"I wish you could debut with me." Jihoon pouts, and Woojin rolls his eyes.

"And be overshadowed by your cute ass?" He quips, teasing. "No thanks."

"You're mean." Jihoon frowns. "I'm sorry, man."

"Me too." Woojin says, holding Jihoon's hand tightly. "We're going to stand together on stage one day."

"Of course." Jihoon exclaims, and as Jonghyun rounds the corner, Woojin feels his heart leap. "Jonghyun-hyung!"

"Yeah?" Jonghyun asks, stepping out of the door he just entered. His eyes flit to Woojin's, and Woojin just smiles, shrugging his shoulders.

"Can we feature Woojin in my debut album?"

_"What?"_

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here." Jonghyun says slowly. "But yes, I like that idea."

"See, Woojin?" Jihoon beams at him, and Jonghyun does too. Woojin smiles back, and suddenly everything feels a little lighter.

"We're going to be fine." Jihoon's grip tightens, and Woojin nods.

"We'll be fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave me a comment! did u watch the concert, how was your day etc i love hearing about yall \o/
> 
> also expect updates to be shorter in length since I'm writing in between study breaks lol


	4. four, eunki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me being so speedy lol but wow produce 101 has officially ended, but it's a new beginning for all contestants
> 
> also jonghyun just did a v live nothing can ruin my mood now lol

Eunki decides that Jihoon needs a break.

"Break time." He says softly to the trembling mass on the floor, and Jihoon stumbles to his feet. It's been six hours since Eunki called for him, and the boy looks tired and dead on his feet. "You know what? Go take a nap. Be back here at eight tomorrow."

"Thanks hyung." The words are slurred, and Eunki neatly sidesteps the hug he's nearly attacked with. "Mean-ie."

"Get out of my studio, kid." Eunki says, going over to the laptop to play Jihoon's debut song again. The door shuts, and Eunki closes his eyes, enjoying the silence.

The past two weeks has been a mess for the company, with Jonghyun and Minhyun deciding it was time to debut their first ever trainee. Dongho and Minhyun had spent sleepless nights composing the tracks, and they decided to go with a triple MV debut.

"Go big or go home, isn't it?" Aron had grinned as he said it, and Eunki rolled his eyes. 

"How much do I need to chip in?" He asked, and the smile had slid off Aron's face like melting ice cream in the summer.

Sanggyun was busy writing rap lyrics, consulting the boy every two days to monitor his improvements. Jaehwan was often rushing in and out of the vocal studios, juggling the other trainees and Jihoon at the same time. He himself had been tasked with coming up with Jihoon's choreography, and he had to admit he was stuck.

He had gotten the chorus down pat, but the bridge was still a mystery to him. The bridge was a complex harmony of beats and synth sound, and Eunki figures a quick and complicated set would do the job. Unfortunately, he's had zero ideas so far.

Jihoon's a good kid. He's pulled sleepless nights recording and re-recording to fit Dongho's strict standards, and Eunki once caught him mumbling Sanggyun's lyrics in his sleep. His dancing has improved by leaps and bounds, and it turns out that he enjoys wacking and popping. Vocally, he's improved enough to pull off fuller high notes, much to Jaehwan's relief. He's overworked, that's the word, but Eunki's frank enough to tell him that no one else outside the company cares.

"Pull yourself together. The public's only going to see your image, not you, not the effort you put in. That's why your debut is important. You have to do well." Eunki had said last night, letting Jihoon lie his head on his lap. Jonghyun had been there too, sitting down against the fogged up mirrors.

"You're our first debut." He had said simply, and it needed no more explanation. Eunki was sure Jihoon knew the importance of it. If he was a flop, the same expectation would be expected upon the other trainees as well.

His phone rings, and he reaches over to pick it up, hitting pause on the player.

"Hong Eunki." He says, tilting his head back.

"Eunki! It's Taehyun!" The excited voice on the line exclaims, and Eunki's lips twist into a smile. "What's up, man? You free?"

"I'm just tired." Eunki groans, stretching his arms. "How are you? How's HOTSHOT doing?"

"Fine, fine." Taehyun's voice sounds upset, and Eunki presses him for more. "Okay, so maybe the company has been saying it's time HOTSHOT stops activities. I think they think we're a flop. Jesus."

"Shit." Eunki says sympathetically. "You holding up okay?"

"Nope." Taehyun pops off the end of the word. "Can I come over? Do you still live at the same place?"

"I'm not at home right now." He says, standing up. "I'm at the company."

"Can I come over?" Taehyun still sounds upset, and his heart tugs.

"Yeah, alright. I'll text you the address." He says, cutting the call. He texts as he jogs down the stairs, and even Moonbok is still at his table, clicking away.

"I'm having a visitor, hyung." He tells him. "Kid Monster from HOTSHOT."

"You passed that through Minhyun?" Moonbok asks, not looking up from his laptop.

"Shit, I didn't." Eunki curses, hitting his forehead with his palm.

"I'll check for you." Moonbok keeps one hand typing on the keyboard, the other patting around the table for his phone. 

"Minhyun's fine with it, but your friend isn't allowed to see the trainees or trainers. Basically, blindfold him or something." Moonbok reads off the message.

"Okay, thanks." Eunki grins. Taehyun's sending him a long string of emojis on KakaoTalk, and he flicks over the messages.

"Hey, Eunki." Moonbok says suddenly, and Eunki props his hip against the counter. "Do you think I should hire this guy? To do Jihoon's fanpage?"

Eunki peers at the screen that's offered to him.

"Yehyun?" He asks. "Sure, by commission."

"Yeah, my computing skills are limited." Moonbok bites his lip in worry. "But the company budget is stretched out so tight..."

"Your call." Eunki says, watching the black van roll up outside the doors. Catching a glimpse of Taehyun's red hair, he pushes off the counter, looking back at Moonbok.

"Hyung, you look really tired. I think you should sleep on it." He says. It's close to eleven at night, and he snags the office keys off Moonbok's desk. "I'll close up once I'm done." 

"Really?" Moonbok's face fills with relief. "Thanks, man."

"No problem." 

 

"But what's been going on on your end?" Taehyun asks once he's done ranting about his company.

"Nothing much." Eunki's rests his back against the cool floor. "One of my kids is debuting, and I need to do his choreography. It's just the bridge left, and I need to get it done by tomorrow. It's going to be fine, except I have no ideas. At all."

"Need help?" Taehyun clucks his tongue. "I could use a distraction."

"Yes, please." Eunki does a half crunch, crooking his neck to see Taehyun grinning. "Where were you the past two days? Let's get started."

 

"Hyung, I missed you." Jihoon wraps him in a hug, and Eunki grumbles. He's promply handed a cup of coffee and he takes a long swig. 

"Did that bridge for you last night." Eunki hands him the tablet. "Check."

"Woah, that was fast." Jihoon takes it with eager hands, watching it. "Hyung, this isn't you though?"

"A friend." Eunki explains. "You know HOTSHOT? The guy called Kid Monster."

"No way." Jihoon gapes, replaying the video. "Kid Monster helped to choreograph my debut song?"

"Yup." 

"Hyung, that's so cool! Can I meet him?" 

"No." 

"Hyung, can I meet him when you're more awake?"

"Okay, maybe." 


	5. five, minki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a really short one bc my life rn is a mess ;;;

"Kwon Hyunbin, are you dumb?" 

Minki looks up at the commotion, and he sees a small girl scolding one of his models for tonight.

"Seriously, do models have brains?" She continued angrily, and the boy's shoulders cave in. "I can swap you out for anyone else, you know that? The next time I call for you, I want you in full dress! Walk properly too, are you a model or a chicken?"

The boy shakes slightly, and Minki sees the hurt in his eyes as he turns away after being dismissed.

"Choi Minki?" The bitch coordinator claps for him like he's some dog, and he saunters over.

"I am." He says, and the girl looks up, surprised.

"Why aren't you changed yet?" She snaps and Minki raises one eyebrow. 

"I am changed." He argues, and she frowns.

"It says here you're supposed to be in green and black." She checks her clipboard again and Minki briefly wonders who hired her.

"Ana, what the  _hell_ are you doing?" Finally a blessedly familiar face appears, and John rounds the corner, yanking off one side of his head. "Why are you holding up the boss?"

She looks confused, and Minki twists his lips into a smirk.

"Today, I'm Ren. I'm the designer for this show." He says, watching her cower. "And you,"

He pauses for dramatic effect.

"Are fired. Pronto. Get. Out." He hisses. "No one screams at  _my_ kids like that. Out!"

 

The show begins without much trouble, and Minki's given ten minutes to present his designs to the crowd. They roar with approval as he struts down the stage, and he leans over to grab the microphone offered to him.

"Good evening everyone! Today I'm introducing myself as Ren, and as a tribute to the Sewol Ferry Disaster, I've been working with Versace. Tonight, we reveal the twenty looks we designed, and all pieces, including the one I'm wearing now," He throws a wink, hamming it up. "Will be auctioned. All proceeds go to the Korea Green Foundation."

The neon blue lights spark to life behind him, and he checks the monitor below. LED strips spelling out the name of the collection, The Eternitarian, in script.

"We bring you The Eternitarian, and hope you donate to help the families of the disaster. Choi Ren, signing off."

 

"Minki, the show is number one trending on Twitter and Melon." John tells him as the show comes to a close. Minki holds one hand to stop him, looking intently for the boy he saw earlier. He spots him half hidden in the shadows, and he pulls him out with a wide grin.

"What's your name?" He screams over the thumping bass, and the boy looks slightly shocked.

"Kwon Hyunbin, sir!" He shrieks back, and Minki nods in confirmation, pulling the both of them into a private room.

"Which company?" 

"YG K+." The boy stutters, looking at the floor.

"Hm." Minki thinks, pulling out his phone. "Do you want to sign with my company, Hyunbin?"

"I, I-" Hyunbin seems to finally recognise who he's talking to, and his eyes go wide. "Yes, yes!" 

"Very good." Minki grins, dialing the tone. "Eunkyung noona! I'm calling in that favour from two years ago. I want Kwon Hyunbin, he's mine, okay?"

_"What? No! I need to discuss-"_

"Noona. You're the CEO, and you owe me a favour since I covered your back the last time. Yes or no?"

There's a long pause, and then a crackling sigh.

_"Yes."_

"Thanks, noona! Love you, bye!"

Hyunbin's jaw drops open, and Minki tucks one hand into his, skyping Jonghyun.

_"Minki! What's up?"_

"Jonghyun, look!" Minki holds up their interlocked hands and Hyunbin makes a kind of groaning sound.

_"Talent or boy toy, Minki?"_

"Talent! He's Kwon Hyunbin!" Minki jumps slightly, and Jonghyun's face breaks apart from the static. 

 _"Cool."_ Jonghyun peers into the camera, and Hyunbin waves sheepishly.  _"Our second ever model. Welcome to MORII, Hyunbin."_

 

"Sanggyun's team is releasing their mixtape tomorrow." Aron's voice crackles over the phone, and Minki wipes off his makeup with a pad of cotton wool. "12 pm. I don't think they want to promote, but you have to check with Moonbok."

"That's nice, but I don't want to hear about the kids-"

"For once?" Aron teases, and there's a sharp clatter. "Shit, dropped my laptop."

"Why are you so clumsy?" Minki sighs, exasperated. He dumps everything into the dustbin and walks to the bath tub. The water is warm, and he slips off his robe and climbs in carefully, placing his phone on the edge.

"I don't know." Aron's voice is peaceful, calm. Minki loves it.

"What's happening to  _you?"_ Minki asks, and Aron laughs.

"I got that coordi like I wanted." He shares. "His name's Donghyun, and he's a good kid. Young, but well- we all were." 

"Hm." Minki says distractedly.

"He has a boyfriend." Aron says quickly. "Im Youngmin. A jack of all trades, apparently. Moonbok wants him as an assistant or something, but Minhyun wants to debut him."

"Yeah? I don't think we should get any more trainees or staff though." Minki closes his eyes. "We barely have enough money to scrape by."

"You do." Aron chuckles, a soft breathy sound. "Anyway, I'm shooting a commercial for Samsung tomorrow so I can't text, so don't freak out. The money should give us enough money for a company dinner to celebrate your new kid and my staff."

"Where are we going?" 

"Meat. Duh." Minki can  _sense_ Aron rolling his eyes. "You back on Friday?"

"Yes."

"We'll do Saturday then." Aron says slowly. "I'll text Moonbok. See you soon."

"Miss you." Minki whispers, feeling very vulnerable.

"Me too." Aron says wistfully. "Four days. I can't wait."

 

"Hyung?" 

Minki stops in his steps, pulling his luggage along to a halt. Hyunbin's eyes are fixed on his feet, duffel bag slung carelessly over one shoulder.

"What's up, Hyunbin-ie?" He asks, and the expression on the boy's face makes him worried.

"I don't have any money." He mutters, scuffing the toe of one worn out sneaker behind the other. Minki blinks in shock, finally finding his voice.

"What happened to the money we paid you for walking?" His voice is rising, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Who took it?"

"Um, my manager." Hyunbin says, and Minki snarls. He remembers  _her_ alright, a gangly model wannabe that washed up at the company's doorstep simpering and begging for a place.

"It's okay." He says, waving the apology off. "I'll pay for your ticket. You promise you'll do well in MORII, right?"

"Yes." Hyunbin says quietly, determinedly. Minki softens a little, walking over to wrap him in a side hug. The boy is too tall to be comfy, and they fit together slightly awkwardly. He's shaking with terror, and Minki rubs comforting circles into one bicep.

"It's a long way to fall, but we got you." Minki murmurs. "You coming?"

"Yes." Hyunbin says after a long pause, forehead pressed to the top of Minki's hair. "Yes, I will."


	6. six, moonbok

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy sunday! it's nearly 6pm where I'm at hope yall have a good week tomorrow

Moonbok wraps Jihoon's fan towel around his neck, pushing his hair out of the way. The waiting room is a calm oasis as compared to the bustling hallway. He opened the door to get to the toilet and nearly tripped over one of the ASTRO members sitting on the floor, then promptly side swerved to avoid a running EXO member. 

It was new.

Jihoon seems to be holding himself together under the pressure. He has went to all the waiting rooms earlier to pass them a copy of his debut album. Moonbok caught one of the senior artists take a distracted glance at it, then fling it carelessly into a cardboard box on the floor. Jonghyun catches his arm in an iron grip as he opens his mouth, yanking him out of the door before he can start a fight.

Almos the entire company is present, all of them in black masks. Jonghyun pushes his hair back, already sweating, and Eunki sheds his denim jacket in the heat. Jihoon's sharing the waiting room with the two MCs for tonight, and Minhyun seems to know them. He's chatting animatedly with them, mask off.

"Holding up okay?" He asks, and Jihoon looks up from where he's monitoring his stage. They pre-recorded earlier, and Aron had somehow managed to convince his old MBC boss to give Jihoon a live stage. 

"I'm going to be fine." Jihoon's voice is the tiniest bit nervous, and Lee Woojin slings an arm around his shoulders.

"You'll be fine. I'm here, remember?" The kid grins. Jihoon pinches his cheek with a smile.

Daehwi is staring open mouthed at the TV screen, while Seonho is smiling next to Minhyun. Minki's blonde hair is startlingly obvious, and Donghyun, their coordinator, tries to jam a beanie down on his head. 

"Don't touch the hair!" Minki shrieks, ripping away from him.

"Min, hold him down." Donghyun says resolutely, and Youngmin comes forward to press Minki into the armchair. Minki's released afterwards looking like an affronted kitten, the two knitted ears in his head trembling with injustice.

"Moonbok, did you send the lyric sheet over to the producers?" Youngmin asks, coming to perch on the vanity. Donghyun pushes him off, gathering the assortment of makeup into their designated bags. "Jesus, chill."

"Yeah." Moonbok says, checking Jihoon's social media accounts. "By the way, how's the kid doing on the Internet?"

"Well enough." Youngmin replies, glancing as Donghyun leaves.  _"Now_ can I sit?"

"Do whatever you want." Donghyun says flatly, and his boyfriend shoots him an air kiss. 

"Youtube wise, his MVs have hit 2 million views each. That's around six million views in total, and that's not including Naver. It seems that he's excelling internationally, and his name's been fluctuating on and off the Twitter Trends charts. Instagram shows a startling number of fansites, and Pann's been active with his fans." Youngmin reports.

"Nice." Dongho comments. "Hear that, Jihoon? You're going to be fine."

"Yep." Jihoon exhales. His knuckles are white from squeezing the microphone in his hands too hard, and Moonbok takes it from him. Sanggyun and Jaehwan burst through the door in a frenzy, unloading bowls of noodles and pork cutlet. Everyone in the room seems to lunge for the dinner, but Jihoon remains in his seat, eyeing himself in the mirror.

"Who am I, hyung?" He asks, gaze faltering.

"You're Park Jihoon." He replies. "MORII's first ever trainee, our longest one. Our first debuting idol. Our little puppy. Just, Jihoon."

"Yeah?" The kid turns to him, and Moonbok resists the urge to pat his hair. He doesn't need Donghyun to scream at him for the next century. "You think, hyung?"

"I know." Moonbok smiles as reassuringly as he can. "We believe in you. It's high time you believed in yourself."

 

_"This week's hot debut, let's welcome Jihoon with his title track "Oh Little Girl"."_

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my  _God!"_ Minki shrieks, hands shaking as he whips out his phone to record the moment. Jonghyun, Lee Woojin, and Minhyun are the only ones who went out to see Jihoon perform live, and the rest of them are clustered around the TV screen in the waiting room.

"Shut it, hyung, he's starting!" Eunki screams back, and Moonbok stifles a laugh. Jihoon's face emerges on screen and the entire waiting room shrieks with excitement. Youngmin is on his laptop, checking through the trends and live comments.

"What is this, his visuals are awesome!" He reads off one comment, and Dongho smiles with pride.

"That's my kid right there." He says, voice wavering with emotion. Jaehwan hits his shoulder, and Daehwi shrieks as Jihoon transits into his first chorus.

"He's doing so well!" Seonho is crying already, and Aron looks terrified at the waterworks. 

"Okay, his name is shooting up the Twitter charts." Youngmin continues, and Donghyun slaps his arm.

"Who cares about that, our baby boy is-"

"Please do not end that sentence." Youngmin winces. "He's just one year younger than you are."

Moonbok watches Jihoon closely, and suddenly it's time for the complicated bridge set. Beside him, Eunki freezes over with worry.

"You can do this, come on, Jihoon." Eunki chants under his breath, and Jihoon ends the set with a flourish.  _"Yes!"_

Eunki wraps him in a hug, and Moonbok briefly wonders if this is like winning the World Cup.

"He did it!" Minki cheers, and Jihoon wraps up his last chorus, ending smoothly with a wink.

 

"You did so well!" Seonho lunges to grab Jihoon as he comes through the door, pressing an affectionate kiss to his cheek.

"Hyung, you did great!" Daehwi shoves Seonho off, latching onto their new idol.

"Get off him." Dongho snaps, opening his arms. "Come here, kid. That was a very good job."

"Group hug!" Eunki screams again, blotting tears away with his fingers. Everyone ends up surrounding Jihoon, and Moonbok's face is squashed somewhere between his bicep and Jonghyun's shoulder.

"Let me go, oh my God." Jihoon laughs, eyes sparkling, and Aron sighs dramatically.

"Meat, tonight, my treat." He says shortly, grabbing his coat from the chair. 

"Yes! You're the best, hyung!" Jonghyun slaps Aron's shoulder and Donghyun tosses the haversack of makeup over one shoulder. Youngmin's latop bag is already packed, and Dongho plugs out the power socket for his latop, keeping his bulky headset. 

"We travel light, don't we?" Moonbok chuckles, laptop case locked in his arms. "Hurry up, let's go. Jihoon needs to be at the salon by nine and Mnet by ten. He's sleeping at twelve tonight  _latest."_

"Yes, mom." Minki sticks out a tongue at him, slinging a thin arm around Sanggyun. Jihoon emerges from the changing room with his normal clothes, and Donghyun folds and shoves the stage outfit in a tote bag. 

"Masks on." Minhyun orders. "We need to look like staff."

"Yes, dad." Minki deadpans, and Minhyun shoves him out of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heads up i will not be posting anything until next saturday as i have nationals coming up! hope yall understand & thank you!


	7. one, minhyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just reordered the chapters only lol sorry

"Good morning, Jonghyun-ie!" Moonbok chirps cheerfully, long hair tied up in a ponytail. His trademark round spectacles are perched on his nose, and his black blazer is adorned with random pins. Jonghyun waves, grabbing the schedule Moonbok passes to him with a flourish. 

"You have auditions to monitor today after lunch at two. Before that, Baekho wants you to see him to discuss Park Jihoon's comeback at ten, then Minki wants lunch at eleven thirty- it's specified here he wants McDonalds two streets down- so he can check with you about his advertising rights in the Gucci commercial."

"Thanks, Moonbok." Jonghyun grins, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the list he's thrust with. Minhyun steps out of the lift, going to meet him at the reception counter. He's rewarded with his own equally packed schedule and he pulls a face. Jonghyun passes Moonbok the cookies his mother made, and the other grins, accepting it with thanks and biting into it with relish.

"Don't-"

"Get crumbs on the floor." Moonbok continues the sentence, chuckling. "I've been working here as long as the both of you have, Minhyun."

"Yeah." Minhyun flushes slightly, and Jonghyun waves them goodbye as he takes the stairs to get to his office on the third floor. Stepping in, he decides to forgo the air conditioning, instead opening the window to let in the spring breeze. For one hour, he immerses himself with looking at the contracts from other companies, checking against his own to ensure his are the best. The knock on the door startles him and he looks up as Dongho slips in uninvited. 

"I knocked." Dongho beams, dropping into the chair right in front of his desk. He removes his hat and runs his hands through his hair. Jonghyun greets him with a quiet "good morning" and Dongho jumps straight to the point.

"I want Jihoon to do something stronger this time." Dongho passes him a thumbdrive and he plugs it in. "His debut was poppy enough to get him fans, but I'm thinking he needs to show more musical sides before deciding on specific genre."

Jonghyun clicks open the folder and plays the song named "Get Down". The song is groovy and trendy, and Jonghyun can picture strong choreography with it. 

"I like it." Jonghyun says simply, saving it onto his own desktop and returning the thumbdrive. "Does Jihoon?"

"The kid wants to try everything." Dongho guffaws. "He says he wants to do the choreography himself."

"Hm." He thinks. "That's great but I think we need to have Woojin do it with him. It'll give Woojin a little bit of popularity before we debut him. Eunki will check on them right?"

"Eunki wants to adopt the both of them." Dongho leans forward in his seat. "Oh, and Aron hyung's still down with that flu, so he sent me to pass you some of the drafts he's outlining for Jihoon's music video."

"Thanks." Jonghyun takes the manila envelope, unwinding the string to check. The sketches are rough, but he checks through thoroughly. They're filled with Aron's signature strong hand and coloured in shades of sky blue and forest green. 

"Ooh, where is this place?" He fishes out a photograph of a near empty street filled with graffiti. Dongho grabs it, flipping to the back to check. 

"Hongdae, street 45." He reads off, squinting to read Aron's tiny handwriting. "Shit, it's eleven already? I'm going to meet Geonhee to write his melody for the next song he's doing with Kwon Hyeob."

"Say hi to him for me." Jonghyun calls, biting off the cap of his trusty red pen and ticking off the shots and locations he thinks are good. Dongho shuts the door quietly behind him, leaving him to his thoughts. 

Minki bursts through his door at eleven forty five, because "fabulous people are always fashionably late". He's dragged out of the building, the studs on Minki's leather jacket jabbing into his skin as they walk. The street is bustling with activity and they both pull on face masks, Jonghyun raising the hood of his jacket to cover his side profile. 

The staff at McDonalds recognise the both of them, and Jonghyun orders their usual: a fish burger, chips and Coke for Minki, and a chicken burger for himself. The other goes to find a table, and Jonghyun brings the tray over reluctantly. Their table is right in the middle of the space, and he would much rather have a seat closer to the corners.

"So," Minki starts off, ripping into his bun. "I want to wear all Gucci things for a week."

"Okay." Jonghyun mumbles, mouth full. "Wait, don't you have a sponsorship with that sports brand?" 

"Nike." Minki supplies helpfully.

"Right." Jonghyun plucks off a sesame seed from the top of his bun. "If I remember correctly, that contract did say you were not to wear any other fashion brands."

"It did." Minki chews as he speaks, fingers coated in grease from the fries. "I can still carry things. Like a bag, or maybe get a new carrier from Gucci to show at the airport."

"Where are you going next?" Jonghyun asks.

"Uhm," Minki pauses, thinking. "Hong Kong. I applied for leave yesterday."

"Shit, sorry, I haven't seen it yet." Jonghyun groans and Minki rolls his eyes, patting his arm with his elbow.

"Don't worry, I'm going even if you don't let me." Minki articulates, polishing off the rest of his burger. "Hey, I'm finishing the fries."

"You always do." Jonghyun says fondly, watching him inhale the entire packet. "I need to get back to the office soon. You done?"

"Yep." Minki says, scrubbing his fingers with a bit of tissue and blotting the oil from his mouth. "I'm going to see Aron, check if he's still alive. You want that rose tea from the store underneath his house?"

"God, yes." Jonghyun smiles, standing from his seat. They walk out together, then Minki climbs into a taxi waiting for him outside the fast food place, waving goodbye. He waves back, then makes his way to the company building.

 

"Hey." Minhyun smiles at him as he enters, gesturing to the seat in the middle of the panel. Jonghyun smiles back and takes the seat, shoving a sleeping Jaehwan slightly to wake him up.

"Hyung." Jaehwan whines and Jonghyun pats his mop of hair. Sanggyun on the other end of the table is beaming into his phone with a soppy smile and Jonghyun recoils at the sight. Minhyun slaps Dongho's feet off the table, muttering something about first impressions and whatnot. Eunki is straight up sitting on the table, legs suffocated by skinny jeans. 

A knock on the door signals the first of the auditions. Moonbok introduces the boy as Kim Dongbin, and the boy bursts into tears somewhere in the middle of the performance. Dongho rushes off with tissues and comforting pats, but Sanggyun is much less forgiving, giving Jonghyun a firm shake of the head.

Second applicant is much more promising, and Eunki lights up when the boy does modern dance. The boy doubletakes when he sees Eunki, opening his mouth to ramble about how he had been an inspiration to him during his dancing days.

"Dance with me." Eunki says breathlessly and the boy, Jung Jung, obliges. When they're over, Eunki is smiling so wide it's unnerving. 

"Screw being an idol." He says, snapping his fingers. "Be my assistant. Please."

In Jonghyun's eyes, it's a fool's offer, but Jung Jung takes it with a smile.

The faces all blend together until it's six in the evening, and the last of the trainees applying for the company stumbles through the door. 

His name is Kang Daniel, and he speaks English, has pink hair and can do about any of the things the panel asks him to.

"I want him." Minhyun says immediately once he's finished his audition and the panel wholeheartedly agrees.

"Welcome to MORII family." Jonghyun looks up from his tablet, eyes scanning over the head of pink hair. "Kang Daniel, right?"

"Thank you. It's an honour."

"Not with _that_ hair." Minki breezes in through the door like a human tornado, simultaneously disrupting the sheath of papers lying in ordered rows and passing him a cup of tea. Minhyun lets out a sound of severe distress, pushing Minki out of the way to pick up all the papers. Jonghyun takes a sip, savouring the taste of the heady rose tea, while Eunki grabs his new assistant, making their way out.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Their newest trainee of two minutes brings one hand to his head, frowning.

"If you're going to make a statement, you should do it well." Minki rolls his eyes, pulling off his sunglasses and setting them on the table.

"Holy- Choi-" Daniel trips over his own words and Minki giggles.

"Don't say that or it'll get to his big fat head." Minhyun snaps sardonically, rearranging the papers.

"Choi Minki." Daniel gasps out. His backpack slips from his shoulder and he hastens to sling it back on.

"Cute." Minki appraises, then hooks an arm around his. "Let's go fix that hair."

Jonghyun watches Minki manhandle his trainee out of the door, shaking his head.

"Movie night?" Minhyun asks, and Jonghyun agrees, feeling the tiredness in his bones. Packing up, he grabs his bag from the office before going to meet Minhyun, who has driven the car to the front. He locks up, pulling the bolts across, then slides into the car. Minhyun has the radio on, and the irrelevant chatter is soft. Jonghyun sends an email out to Yehyun to tell him about their new trainee ans asking him to update their company website. He sends a text to Aron, asking him when he'll be back to schedule a shoot for Daniel. He also attatches Daniel's folder to the company's administrative group chat, and Moonbok replies within seconds, arranging a company dinner.

"15th March." Jonghyun mumbles under his breath as Minhyun turns into their apartment complex.

"We're home, get out." Minhyun teases, and he blushes, tucking it away. They have their dinner together, Minhyun reading that book of poetry he bought last weekend. The company dinner is finalised and he scribbles it down into his journal.

"What are we watching?" He yells into the living room as he heats up the popcorn. Minhyun is flicking through the channels as he balances the bowl of popcorn and tubs of ice cream in his hands, the handles of two desert spoons between his lips.

"Pirates of the Caribbean." Minhyun decides.

"Sure." Jonghyun says, leaning into his corner their blue couch, heaped high with white pillows. He falls asleep like that, head lolling against the headboard and knee nudging a precariously balancing bowl of popcorn.

 

"I'm back!" Aron gestures wildly as he blazes through Jonghyun's door on Friday. "Missed me, didn't you?"

"Are you well enough to work?" Jonghyun asks, eyes flitting to his. Aron pumps his chest and gives him a cheesy wink.

"Ready to go." He cheers and Jonghyun tilts his head.

"You're way too cheery today. Did something good happen?" He asks suspiciously.

"I happened." Minki pops his head in and slaps Aron's ass as he leaves. Aron grins even wider. "Okay, I don't want to know."

He pushes past him and tells him to prepare for a shoot in the afternoon for Daniel, them goes to find the trainee. He finds him standing near the lifts on level one, and Moonbok jogs over to pass him his security pass and identification lanyard. Jonghyun watches Daniel look down at the items with awe in his eyes.

"Hello." He says, and Daniel bows.

"Good morning, sir." He replies and Jonghyun scrunches up his face.

"Don't call me that, I'm just a year older than you." He reminds, stepping into the lift. Daniel plays with the strap of his bag as he follows. "Call me hyung. I'll introduce you to the rest today."

"Thanks, hyung." Daniel says in relief and Jonghyun warns him about the extreme nature of his trainees. The first room is taken up by Jihoon, and Daniel bows deeply.

"Ah, Daniel-hyung, we treat each other like family here, there's no need for that." Jihoon's eyes curve into small smiles and Jonghyun grins proudly.

The second room is filled with dancers, and Jonghyun watches them through the window as they dance to Eunki's latest challenge.

"One, two and three, harder!" Eunki commands from the back.

"Who's that?" Daniel points to the dancer in the front.

"Ong Seongwoo." Jonghyun recognises his friend immediately. "He dances and sings. We're thinking of debuting him soon."

"Oh." Daniel says, eyes fixed intently on the dancer.

"He's bi." Jonghyun blurts out, then bites his lip.

"We can date?" Daniel asks and Jonghyun smiles knowingly. 

"I'm okay with it but you have to get through Minhyun and his infamous Talk." He jokes, wrenching the door to the room open as the routine ends. He introduces Daniel to the boys inside and Daniel looks slightly overwhelmed.

"This is Samuel, Woojin, Seonho, Kenta, and..." Jonghyun pauses for dramatic effect, grabbing Seongwoo's hoodie. "Seongwoo. He's your hyung."

"Hyung." Daniel stutters out and Seongwoo looks smitten. 

"Come here, lover boy." Jonghyun has to call his name several times to get him out of the studio.

Jonghyun checks in the small vocal rooms and introduces Daniel to Yongguk, Lee Woojin and Daehwi. Guanlin's in the recording studio with Dongho, while Hyunbin and Hyunwoo are in the pantry.

"We're models." Hyunbin says, eyes twinkling. "I can't dance for shit."

"Language." Jonghyun warns and Hyunwoo laughs.

"We can, if we try." He says, shrugging. "Hyunbin does it for attention but I actually enjoy it."

Daniel is steered to meet Sanggyun, who's busy with Euiwoong and Youngjin. "Hi." They say, looking at him curiously.

"We have Park Jihoon, who debuted last year." Jonghyun says as they walk to his office. "Choi Minki, our resident Top Model has been doing his job for three years. Aron, Dongho, Minhyun, Minki and I debuted six years ago but we left the industry. Dongho does go solo often. He's one of the vocal directors here, along with Jaehwan, who's the same age as you. Moonbok is the best at administrative work. People call him a receptionist but he's much more than that. Sanggyun, Euiwoong and Youngjin were our first hip hop trio that debuted two years ago under the YES label. They're releasing their new album next week."

Jonghyun opens the door, ushering Daniel in.

"We have plans for Jihoon to comeback next month, and we've also decided that his backup dancers will consist of the trainees here."

"Do I qualify?" Daniel asks, accepting the bottle of water with thanks.

"Yes." Jonghyun says, passing him the folder. "Minhyun and I agreed that we would have you, Seongwoo, Park Woojin, Daehwi and Kenta be his backup dancers."

"Sweet." Daniel whistles through his teeth.

"We're debuting a boy group one year from now." Jonghyun checks his planner. "If you improve, you'll be on it."

"I'll try?" Daniel's reply comes out as a question.

"No," Jonghyun smirks slightly as he recalls his audition. "You  _will."_


	8. eight, seongwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brain (& everyone else around me): u got nationals tomorrow so you shouldn't write  
> me: bitch u thought-

"A project group?" Seongwoo swings his feet, legs dangling off the counter of the pantry. He tears open the packet of fried rice Jonghyun passes him from the leftovers compartment of the fridge, emptying the entire thing onto a plate and shoving it into the ancient microwave. "Let's hear it."

"A company effort, more like." Jonghyun says, fishing out packets of tea from the cupboard. "Aron's thinking an Olympian concept, you know, with twelve people."

"Do we have that many people?" Seongwoo asks in disbelief, raising his voice over the insistent hum of the microwave.

"We're thinking you, Daniel, Park Woojin, Jihoon, Kenta, Samuel, the chicks, Daehwi, Yongguk, Euiwoong and, uhm," Jonghyun pauses, and Seongwoo frowns, prompting him to continue. "Hyunbin."

 _"What?"_ Seongwoo gapes, and Jonghyun straightens his shoulders. "You serious? Does the kid even want to be an idol? What about little Woojin?"

"Lee Woojin has his graduation exams in four months." Jonghyun says firmly. "I'm not having him screw up his education. Meanwhile, Hyunbin needs to step out of Minki's shadow."

Seongwoo nods. He can see where Jonghyun is going with this, and how he hopes it will go. The entire plot sounds like one of his and Minhyun's little plans.

"So, which god am I going to be?" 

 

The meeting for the concept experiment is held the next day, and everyone agrees to it. Hyunbin is given slightly weirded out looks, but the kid just tightens his jaw and promises to do his best.

Daehwi is Zeus, all gold jewellery and elaborately embroidered dress shirts. He whoops in delight, screaming that he's the king, and Minki nearly flings his coffee at him.

Daniel is given the Poseidon role, and the concept pictures Aron flashes on the projector screen is all wet hair, smoky eyes and hair done up to expose his forehead. Seongwoo avoids the younger's gaze, focusing intently on Aron.

Woojin is given Ares, and his hair is to turn auburn. He's given a collection of photographs of various weaponry to study and choose from for the music video.

Yongguk is Athena, and his outfit is completed with round spectacles and he's even assigned to see a tailor to put him in a pressed black suit.

Seonho is made Hestia, and his concept pictures look soft and yet dangerous while Guanlin is Hephaestus. Hyunbin is Aphrodite, Seongwoo himself Apollo, Kenta Artemis, and finally Euiwoong as Hades. Jihoon is Demeter, and Samuel is Hermes.

Seongwoo looks down at his file, labelled carelessly with a "ONG" and a heart. Chuckling, he flips it open and thumbs through the photographs Aron has put together. The images are of gold rings, a lyre and even the outfits are planned out. He has two to keep, one a embroidered robe with a golden phoenix, and the other a more casual, almost preppy look. He leans over to check Kenta's, oohing at the silver bow and arrow set he's been promised. Kenta's robe is done in silver and brown thread against black velvet, and the back has the image of a roaring bear.

"Wow, hyung, you're really going out on the budget." Seonho whistles between his teeth, holding up an image in his hands for everyone to see. It's a sketch of his robe, and it looks soft, almost like silk dancing in flames. 

"I look hardcore." Woojin grins, pointing to a motorcycle. Eunki winces in the corner, holding up one hand.

"That's actually mine." He points out, scowling. "If it's even scratched, I'll have all of you on permanent tweleve hour dance practices."

Jung Jung pats his arm, and it's almost comical the way Eunki deflates, turning his attention quickly to him. Jihoon just laughs at the both of them, tucking his chin into Guanlin's shoulder.

"Hey, yours looks  _sick."_ Jihoon gasps, and Seongwoo goes to see. Guanlin's concept is steampunk. Hyunbin yelps in embarassment as he flips through his file.

"God, hyung, seriously?" Hyunbin holds up an image of Kim Soohyun shirtless, and Minki whistles.

"Look forward to working out, Hyunbin-ah." He says, clapping his hands. 

Seongwoo can only chuckle at the desolate look on Hyunbin's face.

 

"Again." Dongho snaps, hitting the record button with an exasperated sigh. The recording of the song had gone well, until it was only Daniel and Hyunbin left. Daniel went in first, and Hyunbin was last.

"Come on, Daniel." Dongho says after the boy gives another weak attempt. "A little stronger. Do I have to scold you to make a point?"

Seongwoo isn't quite sure what's going on in Daniel's head, but the boy tries again. He sounds a little stronger, and Dongho turns off the two way communication.

"I don't think he's ready." He says flatly, and Jonghyun frowns.

"I don't want to give up on him, but something's not right today." He murmurs, pressing his thumbs to his temples. He looks stressed, and as Hyunbin stutters his way through his part in the corner, Seongwoo realises why.

"Seongwoo." Minhyun says suddenly, and everyone jumps. The pale pink cardigan flutters elegantly as he pushes away from the soundboard, getting to his feet. "You should go in."

"What am  _I_ going to do?" Seongwoo splutters, and Sanggyun holds his head in his hands.

"Better than nothing." Minhyun continues defiantly, and Seongwoo recognises the temper building up in Dongho's tense frame.

"Okay, okay. I'll try." He concedes, holding up his hands. "No promises."

"Just. Try." Dongho bites off every word, grabbing a bottle of water from the table. He downs half of it in one go, and mutters angrily about the lack of yoghurt in the mini refridgerator.

"I'll get the yoghurt from downstairs, hyung!" Seonho chirps, and Guanlin nods. The both of them run out of the doors, trampling down the stairs, and Minhyun groans.

"This buidling is old. _I'm_ old. Why am I doing this?" He mutters to himself, and Seongwoo sees Jonghyun's shoulders sag.

"Minhyun, the door is always open-"

"Shut up, Jonghyun, you know that wasn't what I meant." Minhyun says, and his voice lacks the harsh tone. He turns to sit next to him on the sofa, curling up. It looks a little strange, the taller, longer male wrapped around the smaller.

"I'm going in." Seongwoo announces, and Sanggyun gives him a wave as he leaves. 

 

Seongwoo knocks sharply on the door of the recording room, turning the knob.

"Hey." He says, and Daniel looks up, surprised.

"Hey." He answers quietly. 

"What, no hyung?" Seongwoo jokes, settling himself on the floor.

"I'm never going to call you hyung, Seongwoo." Daniel teases back, and they both break out into quiet chuckles.

"If you were anyone else I would have killed you." Seongwoo says fondly. "You're lucky you're cute."

The red spreads up to Daniel's ears, and Seongwoo hides a smile. 

"You having trouble with the lyrics?" He asks, and Daniel's huge shoulders curl inward.

"I don't know, I know the lyrics and all but I just can't get the emotion right." Daniel sighs, looking like a put out puppy and Seongwoo goes to ruffle his hair before thinking. 

"How about this," He thinks quickly. "Sing it like you're singing it to someone you really, really like. I'll stay here. Or, you could try really really hard to seduce me."

Daniel flushes again, and Seongwoo takes that as an agreement, rapping on the glass wall and giving an okay sign. Dongho talks to Daniel through the headset, and Seongwoo leans against the glass, staring at Daniel. The younger tilts up his chin, accepting the challenge.

 _"You water my dry heart with love."_ Daniel's eyes are intense as they stare into Seongwoo's, and he swallows as his gaze drops to his lips.  _"You help me breathe."_

Seongwoo shudders inwardly as Daniel licks across his bottom lip, and the waiting room outside bursts into activity.

"Oppa!" He shrieks immediately, and Daniel drops the act, shying away. "That was really good, man!"

"Okay, that was good. Seongwoo, you can come out now, I think." Dongho says over the comms. "Daniel, just those two lines again so I have copies."

Seongwoo throws him a thumbs up, scrambling towards the door. Daniel's question makes him stop before he can leave, and he presses his forehead against the cool door before he answers.

"Were you seduced?"

Seongwoo thinks through a dozen ways to avoid or skip through this question, and he finally decides on the one that first sprung to his mind.

"A little." He says imperiously, turning back to give the boy a slow wink. "Let's see how you do on set, and I'll tell you again."

 

"Whipped." Kenta snickers as he comes back, and Daehwi stares open mouthed.

"Wow, hyung." Euiwoong grins. "That was some serious flirting right there."

Seongwoo waves his fingers tiredly.

"Watch and learn, kids." He says, and Youngmin lets out a squawk of outrage.

"These are  _minors,_ oh my God. Not on my watch." He says firmly. 

"Hyung," Woojin mutters only to be cut off.

"Hyung, I'm twenty one." Hyunbin raises his hand, and the look Sanggyun pierces him with makes him put his hand down.

"What are you guys talking about?" 

Daniel's back, and almost every head swivels in Seongwoo's direction.

"Nothing." He says unevenly. "Nothing at all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :-( rlly worried i'm going to be a flop tomorrow i'm panicking so much sjeindej also HELLO (2017 ver) will be released in 1h 45min sidekdn excited!!
> 
> psps i'll be here refreshing my inbox every 4.5 seconds if u need me


	9. nine, donghyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short update but wew i won that debate & crushed my opponents hehe but monday has been a really bad day so far so i started writing a LOT lol

Aron hands him the folder, sliding a cup of tea across the table. It's early in the morning, about three thirty, and Donghyun scrubs his eyes, yawning.

"I'm thinking of doing outdoor shoots in the morning, break, then studio shots." Aron says, eyes sharp. Donghyun briefly wonders how the hell he's awake at this time.

"Sure." He replies quickly. "I had a few ideas for some of the shots for Seongwoo hyung."

"Let's hear it."

"Um, since he's doing Apollo I thought we could do a little bit of lens flare, dress him in bright colours and strong sunlight. A few close ups maybe?"

"Sounds good." Aron says, propping a foot up on his chair. 

 

"Stay still." Donghyun lightly slaps Woojin's wrist away from his face. "You can't move, okay? If I screw up your eye makeup, Aron's going to fire me."

Woojin scoffs under his hands, but remains still as Donghyun applies highlighter and a generous amount of bronzer.

"You need to eat more." He clucks his tongue, and Woojin smiles at him, waving him off. The boy jumps off his seat to find Hyunbin, and Daehwi takes his spot immediately.

"Hey, hyung." He says off-handedly. "I want to look the best today."

"Maybe." Donghyun reapplies concealer on top of the stress spots on the younger's face, then studies the gold shimmer eyeshadows he's been assigned to. "Be quiet for now, and stay still."

"Yes, hyung." Daehwi beams brightly, and Donghyun paints his lids in cream and gold with hints of baby blue. 

"You have lip tint on?" He checks, and Daehwi passes him the bottle from the inside of his jacket.

"Not now, right before you go in." He says, checking the shade. "It looks alright."

"You're an artist." Daehwi says simply, pocketing it away. "Of course it looks alright."

 

Donghyun goes to inspect Hyunbin's shoot, and the model does unsurprisingly well.

He's been exercising, and the line of his abs is prominent against the strong lighting. Aron requested for his white shirt to drape open, and Donghyun ducks behind one of the computers, checking the photos. Hyunbin's purple hair is glorious, and he looks like a god. A click reveals several strong expressions, and Donghyun ponders.

"Aron-hyung!"

"Yeah?"

"We should have him look soft!" He winds around the cables, standing next to the photographer. "We have way too many sexy ones."

"How am I going to look soft with my abs like this?" Hyunbin gestures to his stomach, and Donghyun teases him with a grin.

"Your modelling skills and Aron-hyung's photography skills, of course." He croons, and Hyunbin tightens his jaw, thinking.

"Let's try it." Aron says, zooming in. "Go."

Hyunbin sits up from his position, folding his legs and propping up his chin on one hand.

"Take out the rings." Minhyun orders, and Hyunbin grins suddenly, unflinching as the flash goes off again.

"I took out my rings, hyung." He reports, holding up his hands and Minhyun chuckles.

"Good job." 

Hyunbin relaxes his stance, eyelids drooping slightly and lips spreading into a soft smile. Donghyun runs forward to muss up his hair a little, and Aron starts smiling.

"Very good." He praises, and Hyunbin lights up. Donghyun leaves the both of them to it, going to meet Minhyun.

"How's it going?" He asks, and his boss grins.

"Well." He says shortly. "We just have Hyunbin, Daehwi and Woojin left. Daniel and Seongwoo are ogling each other in the back room. The chicks are asleep."

"Cool." Donghyun says, and they watch Aron dismiss Hyunbin to call Daehwi in. The boy waves enthusiastically at the both of them, then prepares in front of the camera.

He tilts his body halfway, putting a hand to his face and exposing the lightning bolt earrings he has on. Aron shouts out words of encouragement as they progress, and Daehwi flirts with the camera.

"He's doing well." Donghyun notes with pride, and Minhyun nods in acknowledgement. 

Daehwi finishes off quickly, and Woojin is ushered in. There's a long whistle of cat calls from the back, and Donghyun turns to see Jihoon jumping up and down.

"You look awesome!" Jihoon encourages, and Woojin flushes. 

"This better go well." Minhyun mutters suddenly, and Donghyun wraps an arm around his waist.

"Of course it will." He confirms. "Our hard work will be recognised."

"Hm." Minhyun grunts, and Donghyun is monentarily distracted as Youngmin runs after a streak of blue hair. "I hope."

 

"Donghyun, can you get me one of my lenses? I need a 50mm one for Euiwoong's low lights."

"Coming." Donghyun sets down the hanger, darting over to the drybox plugged into the wall. "Hyung, you sure you don't want the Sigma instead?"

"Bring that too, then." Aron yells back, and Euiwoong bursts into giggles as Seongwoo pulls a series of funny faces behind camera.

"Woong, look dangerous." Aron is saying as Donghyun passes him the Sigma. His hands work quickly, detatching the 85mm lens and replacing it efficiently. "Donghyun, this is the last of the dark shots so you can start packing up for the ones we are going to do in the ballroom Minki booked. I need the robes to be pressed and makeup to be ready, okay?"

"Yes, hyung." Donghyun says, turning back to place the lens carefully back in the drybox before returning to his coat rack. He shoves all the outfits into folded piles, collapsing the foldable rack.

"Need help?" Youngmin asks from behind him.

"Put those into the black bags." Donghyun instructs, placing the robes onto hangers and zipping them into garment bags. "Where's Hyunbin-hyung? Hyunbin-hyung!"

"Yeah?" Hyunbin jolts up from the floor, out of Jonghyun's lap. "Yes, I'm here."

"Weight lifting." Donghyun points to the robes. "Six hangers on each hand, let's go to the car now. They can't touch the floor, okay? These are practically a hundred bucks each."

"Oh my God." Hyunbin whines, and Jonghyun shoves him out of his lap.

_"Hyunbin-hyung."_

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Hyunbin pushes himself to his feet, and Donghyun unloads the hangers onto him. Taking one last look around, he slings the makeup haversack over one shoulder and the laptop bag in the other.

"Dongho-hyung, you can handle the drybox, right?" He calls, and Dongho shoots him a thumbs up. Daehwi jogs over, smiling.

"I'm going to the next location in the van first, Minhyun-hyung can you drive? I have Hyunbin, Youngmin and you, so I can take six more people in the van." Donghyun takes inventory, counting the hands raised in the air. "Okay, let's go and not keep Minki-hyung waiting, you know how he gets."

 

"Donghyun-ie!" Minki grabs his elbow, hissing a  _be polite_ into his ear. "Meet Mr. Seong, he's the owner of this fine establishment."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Donghyun bows, smiling. "My name is Donghyun, and I'm an intern at Minki-hyung's company."

"So I've heard." Mr. Seong smiles welcomingly. "Are you the one who designed the lookbook for this debut? The sketches look fabulous, and Ren's shown me pictures of the robes."

"Ah, yes." Donghyun beams, and Minki slips away to help Minhyun with the props. "I'm studying fashion at Seoul National University."

"As expected from a student from the best university in Korea." Mr. Seong nods in approval and Donghyun hides his pleased grin. "Can I stick around to watch? I'll be quiet."

"I have to check with my director." Donghyun says apologetically. "He's rounding up the shoot at the other location, but he should be here in around thirty minutes. Let me ask the boss."

He gestures wildly for Minhyun, and the older breaks off his conversation with Seonho to jog over. Mr. Seong is granted the approval to stay, and he wanders around the crew.

"He likes you." Minki appears next to him again and Donghyun nearly jumps out of his skin. 

"Hyung." Donghyun grins, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Thanks for pulling through with this."

"No problem, kid." He bounces slightly. "Aron's arriving in twenty minutes, and Dongho's driving so they should be relatively on time. Let's go press the robes and unpack all the makeup, okay?"

"Yeah." Donghyun beams affectionately as he spins away. 

 

"These are  _exquisite."_ Mr. Seong whispers, and Donghyun spares him a glance before going back to dust highlighter on Seongwoo. 

"Ah, Aron-hyung and I spent quite long on them." He answers, and Mr. Seong gives him an impressed look.

"I need to attend a dinner, but I left my namecard with Ren." Mr. Seong explains over the buzz. "I hope to hear from you soon, Donghyun-ssi."

"Ah, thank you sir." Donghyun says, curling Seongwoo's fringe from his face. Seongwoo grins up a him, mischievous, and he warns him not to move.

"Donghyun, Seongwoo can go when he's ready." Moonbok tells him, popping his head into the makeshift hair and makeup area they set up with cloth. "I need Hyunbin next."

"Okay, hyung." He calls. "Seongwoo-hyung, bye."

"No good luck kiss?" Seongwoo puckers up, and Donghyun grimaces.

 _"Out."_ He insists, and Seongwoo vacates the area. Hyunbin slides into his seat, eyes closed and hair done. "Hey, hyung. Any requests?"

"Hm, I think a soft pinkish purple eyeshadow would look nice under the chandelier." Hyunbin says, opening one eye. "I want to try getting a rainbow shot with Aron-hyung."

"Got it." Donghyun mutters, flipping open his palettes to look for the colours. "Okay, hyung. Eyes closed now."


	10. ten, aron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i thought yall might need some visuals so here are a couple of pictures i ripped off from other MVs lol [google drive](https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B32UdnjLdpW1Vmpja1hlUm1HNXc)

"Look here, Daniel." Aron calls. They're doing the entire MV with one camera director and one assistant, and he's honestly worried about how it will turn out. He's rented the newest camera body on the market to film, and so far it's been going well right until the power (and all the lights) tripped. They've resorted to clustering around the subject focus, lighting them up with candles and phone torchlights. Aron can't even use the smoke flares now, but he'll make do. 

Luckily, the ballroom scenes were all done and Minki was editing some of the scenes. The only parts left were the ones where the kids had to lipsync to the song. Seonho bursts into a trot rendition of Bonamana by Super Junior halfway through his shoot and Aron laughs so hard the camera shakes (even with the stabiliser).

Daniel twirls the trident in his hand, nearly decapitating Seongwoo. The love struck idiot still looks at him in awe, and Aron huffs in annoyance. All the lovey dovey feelings affects his work ethic, especially when it comes to post production. He can't possibly handle a screaming Minki  _and_ colour grade all the scenes at the same time.

"Okay, done." Aron tells him, and Daniel drops the smouldering expression on his face.

"That made my face hurt." He complains, and Donghyun drags him out of the halo of lights to shove Euiwoong in. Euiwoong fixes his hair absently, getting ready for the camera. He's dressed in the entirely white outfit with a choker, and Youngmin whistles. Aron readies his shot, and Donghyun counts to three before playing the song.

"Smile." Aron says, thinking. "Real emptily."

"Yes, hyung." Euiwoong reports, easing his facial muscles. 

"Oh shit, he really suits this concept." Guanlin whispers to Jihoon, and Euiwoong breaks into giggles. 

"Focus." Aron warns. They run through the song ten times to be sure, and Guanlin takes Euiwoong's spot.

"Guys, I shredded a little bit of red translucent paper, put these over your lights." Minki appears, and Aron leans back a little on his knees to rest against his legs.

"Where did you get these from?" Seonho chirps, and Minki shrugs.

"Namecard." 

"Okay, Guanlin, side profile first." Aron says, and Guanlin turns.

 

"He looks  _so. Good."_ Minki slaps Aron's arm repeatedly to make his point across, and he flinches.

"Donghyun's styling is really good." He agrees, and Minki clicks through Hyunbin's pictures. "This one. Let's use this one for the teaser picture."

"Okay." Minki adjusts the lights a little, upping the contrast in Lightroom. Aron's editing the videos on his laptop. The individual shots are well lit, despite the emergency situation. Minhyun's already told the group to mention this incident if interviewed about something memorable that happened during filming. They sent them back to their homes, although Hyunbin, Donghyun and Youngmin have moved in to Jonghyun's apartment. 

"I think we should move them into my apartment." Minki has started scrolling through Jihoon's photos. "I'll move in to yours? Like old times?"

"Sure." Aron says absently. "I'll pick you up-  Oh wait, I cashed in my car."

"I won't die taking the subway." Minki teases. "I don't have that much stuff anyway, I'll just shift all the clothes to your place gradually."

"Okay, you have a key, right?" Minhyun took the liberty of copying copies of keys to all their houses already anyway.

"Yes, yes." Minki leans his head on Aron's arm as he works, eyes fixed on the computer. They stay like that until Minki starts snoring gently, and Aron lifts him easily onto the couch. He slides a pillow under his head and returns back to his desk, editing the footage.

 

"How's progress?" Jonghyun asks the second day, and Aron lets him into his studio.

"We didn't use a girl, obviously." Aron points to the teaser pictures he chose. "Those are the ones Minki and I approve of. I'll send you guys the nicer ones and you can do that diplomatic thing you call a vote, but eventually you will pick this one anyway."

Jonghyun wordlessly hands him a cup of tea, and Aron downs it gratefully.

"Minki's still sleeping, so don't make too much noise. I've done up a storyboard, it's what the mainstream Korean public likes. The usual, sexy shots they'll GIF, and I've evened out the screentime into twelve parts so everyone gets the spotlight. Daniel and Hyunbin's shots are very well done, I had a little trouble picking out the appropriate ones."

"It's okay, we can release the unpicked ones as spoilers or reveal them when the MV hits a million views or something." Jonghyun bites on his lip. "Minhyun wants to do some target-prize thing, so we can use your shots. I'm sure they all look great."

"Yeah, yeah." Aron rolls his eyes, lowering his voice as he pulls out a chair for Jonghyun. "Okay, so I'm thinking: What's the public's reaction going to be when they realise Jihoon and Euiwoong are in this? Their fans are going to panic."

"We're going to market it at a project group, so it'll be a Jihoon, Euiwoong and MORII Boys collaboration. If the public likes the group in the end, we can get Yehyun to do a live voting thing where people can track each other's preferences, etcetra."

"A delicate situation." Aron spells it out for him. "I'm not going to lose sleep over that, I have the music video to cater to. I need a meeting with the boys on Thursday. Also, Minki says-"

"What did I say?" Minki's voice is low and gravelly as he rolls off the couch, hair standing up.

"He's moving in with me, then Hyunbin can move into his apartment with the rest." Aron pats his hair down absently as he takes a seat on the desk. "Minki's apartment can be converted to a kind of dorm, he has five rooms."

"And he doesn't use them." Jonghyun finishes. "Good idea. I'll check with them if they're okay with this temporary arrangement. You thinking of filming everything, right?"

"You know me well." Aron praises. "I want everything recorded, but I'll edit and make sure everything's censored, don't worry."

"Okay." Jonghyun smiles and stands. "Go home, you two. You look tired."

"No shit." The lack of sleep has clearly weakened his brain to mouth filter. "Minki, can you call a cab? I'm not in the mood to fight with grumpy commuters on a Monday morning."

 

"Hyung, this is me?" Daniel picks up the glossy photo from the pile, and Aron smirks.

"That's you." He confirms, slinging arms around Donghyun and Minki. "You're welcome from the Aesthetics team."

"Oh shit, hyung, can I keep this one?" Seongwoo yelps, drawing a photo as well. It's one of the better ones, with the styling and make up on point. "I want to blow this up and stick it next to my bed."

"So you can stare at your face all day?" Daniel quips, leaning forward to pull more of his photos out. 

"Say I'm ugly like you believe it then." Seongwoo challenges, and Daniel flushes. 

"Cute." Minki says exasperatedly. "Hyunbin, I worked the hardest on your shots. They're some of the best we've ever did."

"Yeah, the rainbow prism thing came out really well." Hyunbin says, studying the photos intently. "Minhyun hyung, I think we should put these pictures into my portfolio."

"Good idea." Minhyun says, thumbing through the digital files. "Okay, guys, choose two photos as your teaser. Choose wisely, please."

 

They choose the ones Aron already picked anyway, but he expected it. 

The music video has been processed and sent to the broadcasting agency for a rating. Youngmin brings in his MacBook, connecting to the visualizer with Bluetooth.

"I'm excited." Seonho whispers to Daehwi, and the both of them grin excitedly over Jihoon's head. Moonbok is perched on the shoe cabinet and chugging the remains of a Monster, eyes drooping with fatigue. Eunki is still discussing intensely with Jonghyun about the choreography for Jihoon's next comeback in a few months, and Jonghyun pats his shoulder.

"Don't worry so much about it, everything you do is good." Jonghyun reassures, and Eunki looks even more stressed. Sanggyun is smiling down at his phone in the corner, while Jaehwan and Dongho are sharing earbuds. 

"Okay!" Youngmin calls, and everyone looks up. "Aron-hyung, can I play it?"

"Go ahead." Aron says, checking over the monitors. All the cameras in the room are red and recording, and he shoots a thumbs up towards Youngmin. The boy hits the space bar to play and runs back to his spot next to Donghyun on the floor.

The opening scene is greeted with a chorus of exclamations from the boys, with Daehwi pointing out excitedly that he's in the centre. He feels vaguely unsettled having his work monitored in front of him like this, but Minki closes a palm over his and smiles reassuringly. Guanlin peeks through his hands at the screen, yelping when he comes on.

"Apollo has arrived!" Seongwoo bellows as the scene cuts to a close up of him. Daniel slaps him, laughing and Minki coos gently. 

"Me, hyung, me!" Seonho bangs his hands on the table, reaching to pull Minhyun into the seat next to him. Aron flinches, standing up to stop Minhyun from entering the frame, but his best friend nods calmly to him. With some careful maneuvering, Minhyun seats himself behind Seonho out of the camera range, and Aron nods to him.

"I'm loving the purple hair, Hyunbin-hyung." Woojin comments, then a shot of Hyunbin shirtless comes on.  _"Hyung,_ I'm a  _minor!"_

"Hyunbin-hyung looks so good, I'm jealous." Seonho pouts, and Hyunbin preens under the attention. Euiwoong yells when his part comes on, and Yongguk pats his hair, laughing. Kenta nearly collapses off his chair as Jihoon winks at the camera, chortling. They all make a fool of themselves, and Aron's shoulders lose a little bit of tension. At least they're enjoying it.

The credits roll on, and Aron rises to his feet, switching off all the cameras in the room.

"We now have a problem." He says, and everyone turns to him. "I personally think it's time we went back to the public, guys."

Jonghyun looks up from his phone immediately.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He eases. "I don't want our reappearance in the industry to affect this showcase."

"Hyung, we want you to be recognised." Daehwi says quietly. "You've all done so much for us, and I agree with Aron hyung. Don't you want to stand on stage again?"

"Quiet." Minhyun snaps, rising to his feet. "Daehwi, don't  _mention_ that. We work for you guys now, and we've long moved on. It's your time to shine-"

"And how can we take that away?" Jonghyun continues. "You know what, staff meeting. Trainees, please go for a break, get a nice lunch or something. We'll text you guys."

Seonho stands unwillingly, wrapping his arms around Minhyun. Yongguk urges everyone out, and Seongwoo is the last to leave, giving Jonghyun a long searching glance. The door clicks closed, and Eunki settles into a chair.

"The issue stands with the credits of the music video." Aron spreads his hands. "There needs to be credits, and under the company boss name will be your names. Dongho's name is under music, and mine and Minki's are under production."

"Leave out the credits, then!" Minhyun exclaims, and Dongho gets on his feet.

"If we leave them out, everyone's effort in this room goes unrecognised." He mutters, looking at the floor.

"Donghyun needs his name on the credits officially or else he doesn't pass the internship programme." Minki points out. "Since they're not releasing an album, his name won't be on anywhere."

"Can't I just sign somewhere?" Minhyun asks.

"With your signature. Then what's the point?"

"I don't mind putting my name there." Jonghyun says carefully. "Minhyun's just worried about the impact this will make on the video itself."

"Then we should tell the news agencies about our identities first." Sanggyun says. "The sooner they know, the sooner the public knows. If we time it right, release a statement and then news of the single in quick succession, it won't be such a shock."

"He's right." Aron comments offhandedly. His phone buzzes frantically against the table and he picks it up. "It's Kahi."

"Loudspeaker." Moonbok instructs, and Aron answers the call. 

"Noona, we have a problem." He says before Kahi can speak.

"And here I was trying to compliment you about the video." Kahi says playfully. "I'm with Boa right now, let me put the phone on speaker."

"We need to put credits on the music video so Donghyun gets the mark on his university internship programme thing, but Minhyun's afraid that there will be a backlash." Aron reports.

"Honestly, release the statement and the news about their single at the same time." Boa's voice comes on, slightly muffled. "Kahi and I can give joint statements that we've been backing you as well. It's going to raise expectations, sure, but I have faith in your work."

"You did film her music video after all." Kahi says wryly. "Aron, you've already established yourself in the industry. Minki and Dongho too. It's just Jonghyun and Minhyun who've been hiding."

"Maybe it's time to stop hiding." Minki says kindly for the first time in the day. "Jonghyun, we're not going to fail. Look at YES and me and Jihoon. We're going to be fine."

"Do it." Kahi barks. "As your major shareholder and financial backer, we've won the majority of this vote."

"I know you two are scared, but I rather now than later." Boa says calmly. "We'll schedule a date with Moonbok to discuss, okay?"

"Yes, Boa-nim." Moonbok calls.

"That's settled." Boa says firmly. "Jonghyun and Minhyun, are you okay with this?"

"Yes, noona." They say in unision, and Boa cuts the call. Aron sits down on the table, groaning. Moonbok props his chin up on the table.

"More administrative duties." He sighs. "Life in MORII, alright. Let's get to work. Youngmin, I'll need your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> psps i posted my 2hyun fic that i've been talking about for decades! check it out & leave me comments there as well?? thank uu pps show my boi baekho some love he released a [remix of LOOK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ5Z-Pu61IM) and it's beautiful i'm crying in the club


	11. eleven, youngmin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait!! i had a major exam lol

"Moonbok, these statements are ready to be published." Youngmin says from his perch on the small stool he dragged along from the pantry. Moonbok takes it wordlessly, sending off nearly a dozen emails at once. "I think we can begin the social media teasers after the press conference. Some of the kids have social media accounts already, right?"

"Not sure." Moonbok mumbles out absently, typing out another bunch of legal information that Youngmin isn't interested in. He whips out his phone and asks Donghyun, who's upstairs with the boys. Within minutes, he gets a reply. 

"I'll tell Aron-hyung to get all the media ready." Youngmin assents, and Moonbok barely spares him a passing wave as he jogs up the stairs. The press conference will be held next Wednesday, and Minki's already sent everyone in the building for suit fittings. Aron's busy trying to fend off commercial requests so he can spend more time if necessary with the kids, but he looks up when he knocks.

"Hyung, we're going to send out all the teasers right after the conference, can you pick out some unreleased pictures of the kids and send it to them? It will make a good impact if they post it online." Youngmin rattles off the little checklist he's scribbled onto his palm, and Aron nods thoughtfully. 

"Done by tonight, okay?" He agrees and Youngmin throws him a thumbs up. His phone buzzes in his pocket as he goes back down the steps.

"Hello?"

_"Youngmin, Minhyun wants to see you. He's at the lobby."_

"Coming, coming." He sighs, hustling down the steps. Minhyun dumps an entire load of information on him, and they walk to the lounge to think over it. Apparently both Kahi and Boa are attending the event, and as of now no one knows who they are. They've made it onto the front page of Naver with the news that they will release more information about the company, and the public's expectations have been mounting steadily.

"Who should we try to push for this?" Minhyun asks, and Youngmin checks through everyone's social media accounts again.

"Let's put the staff in the middle and everyone else at the sides." He advices. "Euiwoong on one side, Jihoon on the other. Seongwoo and Hyunbin should sit at different ends of the table since they're tall. We're only taking the twelve, yes?"

"Yes." Minhyun agrees, shooting him an appreciative smile. "You ready?"

"Nope." Youngmin pops off the word. "I'm working here now, aren't I?"

"Yeah, we'll pay you on Sunday." Jonghyun sneaks up behind him, giggling at his small shriek. He passes him a blueberry scone, and Minhyun's eyes widen.

"I'll eat in the pantry, Jesus." Youngmin says exasperatedly. "You two go talk business, I'll be eating this when you need me."

 

The suit is a little uncomfortable.

He has nothing to complain about, however. It makes him look good, according to Donghyun, and he got a big kiss as a reward for it. He's even wearing eyeliner, and it makes him a little nervous. Donghyun places a hand on his jumping thigh, and before long the staff at the venue are calling them to go on stage. Outside, he can hear the murmur of two dozen reporters and the clicking sounds of cameras nearly twice that number.

"Let's go." Donghyun pulls him to his feet, and he buttons his suit jacket as he strides out with Moonbok in front of him. The sound of the shutter multiplies as Jonghyun steps on stage, and they settle around on their seats. Moonbok starts off the round of introductions, and he swallows agitatedly when it's his turn.

"Hello, my name is Youngmin, and I am the company publicist." He stands and bows. The rest follow in a similar fashion, and Minhyun prepares his speech.

"Hello, this is Hwang CEO speaking. We would like to thank the public for their interest in our two artists, rap trio YES and soloist Park Jihoon. It is a pity that the staff are only able to reveal their identities now, but MORII hopes that our artists will gain the same recognition int the future. We would also like to thank our backers Kahi and Boa." Minhyun turns away from the microphone, looking to Jonghyun.

"Lastly, we would like to announce that Euiwoong from YES, Park Jihoon, and MORII Boys will release a special single next Sunday. We hope that our artists and trainees can receive your support. Thank you." Jonghyun finishes, and nods to the first reporter in the corner.

 

Youngmin thinks it went well. Once in the van, he takes out his phone and checks the real time charts.

"The hashtag MORII is trending fifth on Naver, with YES Euiwoong at seventh and Park Jihoon at eight." He reports. 

"That's not bad." Minhyun looks over his shoulder. "Reporters are so fast now."

"Hm." Jihoon comments. "My fansites keep asking me if I will stop going solo. What should I say, hyung?"

"Do  _you_ want to keep going solo?" Dongho checks, and Jihoon shrugs.

"I don't really mind, it was a little lonely by myself." He says. 

"We should market this." Sanggyun says immediately. "Why not we jump on Yehyun's vote idea? The other ten are confirmed for debut within the next ten years. It's just a matter of whether Jihoon and Euiwoong joins them."

"What about YES, hyung?" Jihoon gasps, and he frowns.

"I haven't heard from Youngjin in two months." He says thoughtfully. "I think we've split up already, actually. I'm okay with being a trainer still, but Euiwoong is eager to stand on stage."

"Good idea, Sanggyun." MInhyun nods. "I'll follow up with Yehyun about that idea, Youngmin can we see if we can market this more positively? I don't want people thinking that we're robbing Jihoon."

"You're  _not,_ hyung!" JIhoon exclaims, and Youngmin ruffles his hair.

"We know, but outsiders don't know that." He comforts. "Try to slip in comments about how being with the other kids makes you happier or something. It may help to turn the public opinion."

"Yes, hyung." Jihoon says obediently, and Youngmin smiles, letting the younger sleep on his lap as the van drives on.

 

"I don't want to join the group." Euiwoong says suddenly, and the conversation in the room melts into the background. 

"You don't?" Jonghyun asks, and he nods.

"I love you guys and all, but I don't think I fit in with the image." He says firmly, and Youngmin hooks an arm around his shoulders. 

"You sure about that?" Youngmin asks gently, and Minhyun stands. His smile is a little forced, but he smiles nonetheless.

"Very well. We respect your decision." Minhyun says. Youngmin understands why he's worried.

One matter lies in how they are supposed to publicise this, with Jihoon wanting to join and Euiwoong not. The other lies in the fact that Youngjin had recieved an offer from SM. It was unlikely that Youngjin would give that up for them as it was such a good opportunity. He grimances, pushing his head into his thigh.

"More work." He mutters under his breath, before it's completely knocked out of him by an eager Seonho.

 

Youngmin thumbs through PANN and Naver, checking the comments under the news reports. He checks under the Park Jihoon and YES fantalks for good measure, taking down all the signs of resentment.

"Response is shocking." He reports at the team meeting. It isn't really a team meeting, of course, just a cluster of men surrounding a table overflowing with Hot Cheetos and Lays chips. Eunki has his chopsticks dipped in a bag, crunching away unapologetically. Jung Jung leans down for a bite as he walks in, and Eunki feeds him carefully.

"Yehyun did do the comment section for the single in our company page. Comments are generally well meaning, and Hyunbin and Seongwoo have been especially mentioned for visuals." He continues, and Jonghyun relaxes in relief. "Jihoon's fans are appeased with the V Live he did last night, and hyung, Nu'Est's old albums are climbing the charts."

"We saw." Aron says quietly, and Dongho turns away briefly to scrub at his eyes.

"The first teaser has been released, so now we'll just wait for the response. According the schedule, all twelve teasers will be released, then the MV trailer and finally the actual music video and release of the single."

"Thank you, Youngmin." Minhyun grins. "Now, there's something we want to talk to you about."

"Yes?" He asks, and Sanggyun opens his mouth.

"We want you to replace Youngjin in YES." He spells it out plainly, and Youngmin sits down suddenly in his chair. "We've all heard you perform before, and you're really good. With Youngjin leaving and Euiwoong staying, we're in a little bit of a fix."

"I need time to think about it." Youngmin says, and Sanggyun nods.

"Of course." He smiles hopefully across the table. "Take your time."


	12. twelve, seonho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry omg ,,, it's been a month since this was updated and I'm ending it like this....

Seonho's terrified.

It began on Saturday night at precisely 12.12am, because that was the ridiculous time Minki had decided on for the release of their special single "Open Up". Everything had been going to plan, and Youngmin uploaded all the files, Moonbok had settled all the copyright things, Aron had checked over the music video-

The response was explosive.

Yoo Seonho fell asleep on the floor in a sleeping bag with his company in the dance studio on Saturday night. He woke up on Sunday afternoon as Seonho, a member of MORII Boys.

 

"Wake up this instant!" Moonbok shrieks in the morning. "Right now, or God help me-"

"We're up." Seonho stretches, and everyone around him mumbles something, then turns around and goes back to sleep.

"Up." Jonghyun's voice cuts in, and Seonho blinks at the harsh tone.  _"Now._ Wash up, I'll see you in the pantry in thirty minutes."

Guanlin scrambles to his feet, followed closely by Hyunbin and Seongwoo. Seonho rolls Guanlin's sleeping bag (because he still hasn't figured out how to, even after numerous sleepovers) then goes to get his toothbrush. Everyone washes up quickly, and makes it on time to Jonghyun's satisfaction.

"What happened, hyung?" Daehwi treads forward, and Youngmin turns to look at them gravely.

"Boys." He says. "You just knocked Red Velvet and EXO off the charts. You kids broke through the iron wall."

"Haha, hyung." Woojin deadpans. "Seriously- Oh my  _God."_

Aron uses his laptop to show them the real time charts on Naver and Melon and Bugs, and another billion music charts and there. They. Are.

If they aren't the first place, they're second or third. Youngmin shows them the music video hits and likes, and Daehwi bursts into tears. Within twelve hours, they have three million views and sixteen thousand likes.

"From my side," Moonbok calls for their attention. "We have love calls coming in from Knowing Brothers and Weekly Idol for cameos. Problematic Men have asked Euiwoong and Seonho to guest an episode. That's just within twelve hours."

"And MBC wants to pre-record something with you." Aron reads off his phone, and Eunki sits forward, grinning. 

"Back to dance practice and formations." He sings, and the entire table groans.

"Daniel and Hyunbin, you two haven't trained proper before." Dongho says. "Extra work, okay?"

"Who's going to be our manager?" Jihoon asks, and Minhyun raises his hand. 

"Me." He grins. Kenta sniffles loudly, cheeks red.

"Thank you, hyungs." He warbles, and Sanggyun laughs, brushing his hair. 

"Our pleasure." He jokes. Seonho reaches for Minhyun, pleased when the older opens his arms automatically.

Minhyun holds him close, patting his hair. 

 

Eunki pushes them through routines and drill practices, punishing them relentlessly when they screw up a dance move.

"No pain-" He shouts, driving the energy in the room.

"No gain!" They finish, and he starts up the music.

It's clumsy trying to get to their spots on time without banging into anyone, but they make it work. The dance practice goes from morning to late afternoon, then they're sent to Dongho, Minhyun and Jaehwan for vocal and Sanggyun, Youngmin and Jonghyun for rap. In between, Moonbok feeds them vitamins like Vitamin C and iron pills and cod liver oil.

"It feels like I'm going for the national exams." Seonho tells Guanlin, and the older tilts his head.

"What's a national exam?"

"Something you sit for to get into university." Seonho answers, trying to untie the knot in his shoelaces.

"Will I get into university?" Guanlin ponders, and Seonho shrugs.

"Don't stress about it. We have half a decade of education to go before us, hyung."

"Hm." Guanlin comments.

Seongwoo and Daniel get so close they're practically attached at the hip, and Euiwoong sticks firmly to Sanggyun. Hyunbin still tugs on Jonghyun's hair everytime they pass. The dynamics haven't changed, really.

Little Woojin sends them a congradulatory text, and Seonho hestitates before opening the message.

_Hyungs, congrats!! Super happy for you all. Don't worry about me, I'm doing well in school for once. I'll be back soon~_

He giggles, answering it with a series of emojis and hearts.

Minhyun hugs him suddenly one day, and Seonho automatically holds on to him tightly. Daniel's jaw drops as he walks past, and later he corners him in the living room of the dorm.

"Seonho, you know Minhyun-hyung and Jonghyun-hyung are together, right?" Daniel questions, and Seonho bobs his head up and down. Apparently satisfied, Daniel releases him with a ruffle of his hair.

Of course he knows they're together. He just tries not to remember sometimes.

 

They begin promotions for the digital single two weeks after its release. 

Response is great, and their fans rally around the name Elpída, which is Greek for hope. Seonho thinks it's incredibly cute. Jonghyun tears up when they perform, and Sanggyun catches it on camera. Donghyun jumps Daehwi and Woojin with a big hug once they get off, and Seonho goes straight for Minhyun.

"Hey, kid." Minhyun grins down at him. "You did good, Yoo Seonho."

Jonghyun joins in the hug a while later, pressing his chin into Seonho's shoulder.

"You did so well." He coos, and he lights up. Everyone rounds up around them and gather for one big hug.

"MORII," Jonghyun prompts, and Seonho leads the cheer.

"Fighting!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you everyone for sticking around!! lost a lot of inspiration for this & that's inexcusable I'm really sorry about it!! if anyone wants to continue this you can comment below ♡ again thank you & ilyall!!


	13. thirteen, dongho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an epilogue-y kind of thing as a thanks for 10k hits!!! unbelievable thank you so much to everyone for reading (& commenting!! if u have)

"First win, huh?" Dongho warbles. He is most definitely not tearing up. Absolutely not.

On stage, the boys look a little lost and Samuel is already in tears, with Jihoon dabbing away at his face.  Seongwoo is still thanking the roaring audience (they can hear the screams from the _waiting rooms)_ with an arm around a clearly emotional Daniel. Kenta takes over the microphone to do a Japanese greeting, then passes it on to Guanlin for the Chinese thank you speech. 

"Thank you so much for your support." He ends off, and the MCs for tonight close the show. Daehwi lights up and scampers off the stage with a grin on his face, and Minhyun rises from his comfy spot on Jonghyun's lap.

"Come on." He says tiredly, although he sounds a little choked up too. "We got to fulfill the promise. Up, up. Let's go."

Minki tries to salvage what is left of his smudged eyeliner in the mirror, and Donghyun grabs his leather jacket from the back of the armchair. Jonghyun is still holding on to the pillow, tear tracks visible on his beaming face. 

"Let's go." Sanggyun taps his elbow and they stand, Minhyun chasing the rest out. Eunki is  _still_ crying, and his boyfriend Jung Jung looks slightly terrified.

"What do I do?" He mouths over to him, waving his hands about in confusion. Dongho snorts and pats his shoulders in comfort. 

"Come on, Eunki." He says kindly. Minhyun nudges the door shut behind them just as Daehwi clatters down the hallway.

"Hyung, hyung!" He howls, grabbing Youngmin and Donghyun's hands. He drags them behind him as the runs back to the stage, and Guanlin appears at the end of the hallway.

"Hurry up, hyung!" He waves, nearly hitting a staff member in the face with his absurdly long arms.

"We're old." Moonbok reminds, and Aron frowns. 

"If you're old, what does that make me?" He protests.

Eventually, they all make it on stage, although Jonghyun is still teary. Jihoon and Hyunbin bounce over to him in tears, promptly setting the three of them off in another round of waterworks. Seongwoo bumps his hip against Minhyun, and they huddle together on stage to hug. 

It's been long since he's done this - stand on a stage and listen to the screams. Daniel introduces each staff member to the group of fans present for the live broadcast, and Woojin has already set up the V-Live to film the moment.

"Our composer, Baekho-hyung!" He chirps. "Where is he? Hyung!"

Fingers tighten around his wrists and drag him to the front, and a microphone is shoved in front of his face.

"Do you want to hear the demo of our title track?" Samuel asks his fans mischievously. "Dongho-hyung, sing!"

He frowns, swatting at the boy while maintaining his grip on the microphone.

"Kang Baekho! Kang Baekho! Kang Baekho!" Yongguk leads the chant, and he groans. 

"Please no." He mutters into the microphone, and everyone bursts out laughing.

"I'll help you." Minhyun grins, and he looks up into his former bandmate's eyes. Somehow, he manages to find the strength to match to the sound of the instrumental and  _sing._

Jonghyun chips in for the rap part, while Daniel and Woojin hype him up from the back, doing the jazz hands to support him. Minki is off to the side putting bright red lipstick on, but Dongho nudges him and passes him a microphone. He chips in for a line, then laughs loudly and shoves him away. Donghyun and Moonbok are already kissing the boys, leaving bright red imprints on their faces, much to the fan's satisfaction. Dongho ends off with a small bow, and the crowd bursts into applause. Daehwi immediately latches onto him from the back, face covered with red lipstick.

"You look like you have chickenpox!" He chortles, hoisting him up so he's piggybacking him. Daehwi puckers up his lips and leans closer, and he drops him onto the floor without hesitation. Seonho is already on Minhyun's shoulders, and the older looks like he's in pain. Minki and Sanggyun have a tight grip on a wriggling Guanlin, who is screaming at the top of his voice as he tries to escape them. Daniel and Jaehwan are dancing together on stage with Eunki and Jung Jung to show the original choreography. Hyunbin on the side is trying to emulate Eunki's smooth movement and Jung Jung's sharpness, and Jonghyun laughs so hard he sinks to his knees, a hand braced against his stomach.

It's a mess, he thinks. 

He wouldn't have it any other way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i opened a twitter account so follow me on there!!! my username is @wildflower_kjh pls come & scream with me about nu'est w's comeback?? a work of art i love my capable boys so much lol 
> 
> as always, hope you enjoyed it and comment below!! i've had two (twO?? daebak) offers to write book 2 of MORII so keep an eye out for that :-) love you guys, have a great day/night!!

**Author's Note:**

> leave me comments & ily forever ok
> 
> i opened a twitter account so follow me on there!!! my username is @wildflower_kjh and if u tell me who u are in the comments I'll follow u back! :-)


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